From behind Bars
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: Basically, Mufasa and Scar get abducted and end up caged in a ZOO. Will they be able to get back to the Pridelands? Will they stand each other's presence in a tight, depressing prison? This ain't no Madagascar crossover, people!
1. Abducted

**AN: Yes, well I usually prefer to publish just one story at a time, but I thought that since 'Hamlet in the Pridelands' is such a… _sophisticated_ piece of text, it would be fun to experiment with something a little lighter as well.**

**So this idea just struck my mind- Mufasa didn't get along with Scar, right? It was a darn shame how it ended up, right? So what if the brothers were given a little obligatory 'group therapy' together in the form of being abducted and thrown into one cage at the ZOO? Yes, I had been in a ZOO recently… It makes you wonder- the life conditions there are somewhat different than those in the open savanna, so how does a wild animal adjust to them? And how would the two sons of the lion king adjust, if they were made to face such a situation? Are they going to escape? Or is fratricide a fate they can't escape? **

**So here's chapter 1 for ya, tell me what you think. Is it good? Is it crap? Hell, I've never added any humans in any of my stories, so it's sort of a new ground. And I also haven't read many stories from Mufasa's point of view, so let's give tribute to the king since he's mostly known for being killed anyway. If you like it, I'll continue, but I can't promise to update this regularly.**

**Awaiting your reviews as a hungry cub awaits his mother.**

* * *

**Day 1**

Pain.

That was the first thing he felt after waking up. A piercing ache located somewhere behind his eyes, very similar to being stabbed with a porcupine's needle, only that he felt it in his brain. He lead out a low groan, but didn't open his eyes. No, not just yet- he wasn't ready. He was too dizzy and feared that if he let the light blind him now, he wouldn't be able to hold whatever was still in his stomach from… well, checking out. Besides, the strange movement of the floor wasn't very helpful as well… Throwing up was nothing worthy of a king, and Mufasa had to put his highest effort just to free his mind of every image that could cause him to crack.

_Don't think about rotten meat. Don't think about hyenas. Don't think about Rafiki's medicine for flatulence…_

Instead, he wondered about what had happened. He remembered the morning as being nothing out of the regular- he was lucky enough to wake up before Simba did, he took a walk to the waterhole, later said his good-bye to Sarabi and the lionesses when they went off towards the hunting grounds… He also heard out Zazu's typical morning report along with his son, who, as always, was using the poor majordomo bird as a training dummy… Nothing out of ordinary. Wait, but what was it that Zazu was saying to him that morning? Hmm, he could not remember. It seems he was too preoccupied with laughing and observing Simba's developing hunting skills… Afterwards he just ordered Zazu away when he saw that he'd had enough of being crushed to the ground with the weight of a cub that had already exceeded his own. Later he told Simba to go play with Nala and wondered off to inspect the western border of the Pridelands. Again, nothing out of order- the wind blew, the grass grew, the birds flew and the cheetahs were bowing their heads slightly to show respects to their land's good lord.

So what went wrong? Was he attacked? He felt pain so he considered it as proof that he was alive, luckily, but still Mufasa strained his memory to remember the last thing he could possibly recall before passing out. And then it flashed right before his eyes- the stinging pain in his butt.

Drowsily, Mufasa attempted to lift his front paw from the ground and touch his right buttock. Indeed, the muscle was still swollen and it felt as if he'd been bitten by a hornet when he was touching it. But what kind of a hornet knocks a grown male lion off his feet? That was strange.

Everything was strange. The shaking, hard, wooden floor, the lack of wind, the bizarre sound… And also the smell. Not very pleasant, but yet kind of… familiar.

Could it be…?

Mufasa groaned yet another time and made up his mind to try to open his eyes. First he slowly raised one of his eyelids, immediately being blinded by the intensive sunlight. He could see that coming. He was asleep at least for a few hours… or maybe even a whole day? It was hard to tell, but still it took some time for his eyes to adjust. When he was finally able to narrowly open both of them, the fist thing he saw, were bars. A set of thick bars that formed one of the walls of a big wooden box he was seemingly locked in. And also, in front of that wall of bars, there sat another lion, gazing passionlessly at the receding world behind them. A brown lion with a black mane.

-Scar? – Mufasa uttered, not sure if what he was observing wasn't still a dream indeed. His brother noticed him, but he only rolled his eyes and sighed.

-_Puff_… Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up…

Seeing that Scar immediately turned his eyes back away from him in order to gaze behind the bars, Mufasa growled. With a lot of effort, he rose from the ground, still feeling that all his four paws were like made of jelly, breathing deeply to fight the annoying nausea. Step by step, he approached and sat down beside his brother and, as it was slowly becoming more and more vivid in his mind, his fellow cellmate.

-What, in the name of the Great Kings, happened? – he moaned, rubbing his aching temples. What he was seeing in front of him was a sandy road, oddly moving away from under them and from under the box they were in. Also, the horizon seemed to be getting farther and farther... Scar turned his head and looked at his older brother. At first even the most perceptive creature wouldn't be able to make out what mood he was in, but a second later his face was twisted with a frown of fear when his ears fell and he mumbled-

-I think we're in a hole, Mufasa.

-Yes, I think you're right, brother – answered the king.

-And I also think you know as well as I do what _kind_ of a hole this is.

Mufasa glared at the horizon. Somewhere over there, was his kingdom. And it was becoming more distant with every second.

-Yes. I do – he shuddered.


	2. Bald Monkeys

**Day 1**

_Raiser's journal._

_So far so good. The native hunters have done their job- both the lions have been captured unhurt. They are adult males of the Panthera Leo Massaica subspecies, although the younger one has (besides the scar on his left eye) a very rare and beautiful feature- a pitch-black mane, that may indicate some distant relations to the extinct Cape lion. They are both old enough to probably have already sired cubs of their own and the natives have assured me that they were both nomads, as was the agreement with the government. The recipient should be fully satisfied._

* * *

-"We've been abducted, haven't we?" – Mufasa asked with an inalienable tremble of his voice. His brother, although himself visibly disturbed, still answered with a note of sarcasm, displeased not just with the lone fact that he was caged, but also with whom he was caged.

-"Oh do you really need me to state the obvious, Mufasa? We're in a box with bars on one side, and we're moving. I suppose even you can figure out that this is no mid-day trip to the waterhole…"

The fear on the older lion's face was momentarily replaced with anger.

-"Don't mock me, Scar! I'm being dead serious here and I'm asking you to be so as well. If you have any idea about what happened, then tell it to me now!"

Again, his brother just sighed, shook his head and got up only to lie down back on the floor in the middle of the cage.

-"It were those pathetic bald monkeys" – he snarled.

'_Bald monkeys'?- _thought the king. He didn't know any such creatures that lived in the Pridelands. But wait a minute…

-"Are you talking about… _humans_?" – he asked with a tone of total surprise.

-"_Heh_, well check out the big brains on Muffy! Right, brother- they were _humans_. We have been abducted by two-legged, hairless primates. Now isn't that fun news?"

-"But… there've never been humans in the Pridelands! At least I have never seen any of them…"

-"_Bald monkeys _are everywhere nowadays, you should ask around. But I guess we can justify ourselves with being taken by surprise…"

Mufasa still couldn't believe what his brother was telling him. Truly, humans had the tendency of showing up from nowhere, making a lot of commotion and disappearing as swiftly as they came, but all in all their herds tended to live far from lion dens or any other dwellings of big, wild animals that could easily kill a grown male of their kind. Humans didn't have claws or sharp fangs, they lacked the speed, strength or climbing skills, but on the other hand, they used weapons with which they were able to kill almost any creature they pleased from a safe distance. Or at least this is what Mufasa had heard. Judging from his own experience of getting knocked unconscious by a single shot from such a human weapon, he considered himself lucky to still be alive. Now he thought that maybe the presence of humans in the Pridelands was indeed what Zazu's been trying to inform him of during his morning report… That would be bad. A serious mistake for a king. But for now, he didn't know that for sure and considered that he probably never would.

-"Well, how did it happen that _you _got yourself caught, since you always consider yourself the most prudent lion of all, Scar?" – Mufasa inquired, attempting to copy his brother's malice. But when it came to sarcasm, it was the younger one of the brothers who was the leader.

-"Prudence is quite hard to exercise when one is being ambushed in his own den by two hostile creatures with long-range weapons, you know. A lion's roar is, sadly, no match for their projectile needles that make you fall asleep as soon as they pierce your skin, but I reckon you know that already. What I think about prudence is that a king with even a small amount of it would prevent the malignant lion-nappers from even setting a foot in his land, let alone from being abducted by them himself!"

Scar's insolent remarks were a flaw to Mufasa's royal honor, the more painful because they were very likely to be true. The king roared viciously after hearing that, what made his brother flinch and move back from what seemed to be an attack directed towards him. But Scar was not the one who Mufasa attacked. Instead, the king charged with all his might at one of the wooden walls of their cage.

-"Let… me… _out of here_!" – he screamed, baring his fangs, infuriated even more by the fact that not only hadn't the wall moved by an inch, but from his forceful charge he felt pain as if he had almost dislocated his shoulder. Still growling, he bashed at the wall with his paws, scratching the wooden surface with his sharp claws.

Contrary to his brother, Scar observed the scene with a bored stare.

-"Brother, you might be the tougher one of us, but take my word of advice and please, save your effort. Do you think I haven't tried to tear this cursed cage down when you were asleep?"

-"I don't care! I want out! I need to go back to the Pridelands!" – Mufasa threw the words at him with a snarl, having visibly lost his patience.

-"Don't we all…" – sighed Scar. – "Oh, and don't bother to chew at the bars, too. I almost lost a bloody tooth…"

It took Mufasa more than ten minutes to calm down. Or rather, to tire so much as to not be able to tackle and claw the box anymore. Totally worn off, he collapsed to the floor right beside his brother.

-"Told you…" – Scar said casually. Then his exhausted cellmate glared at him with eyes filled with despair. Even his brother's heart shivered to that image.

-"You don't understand. The pride needs me. I'm their king! What will they do without me?"

-"Ah, you worry too much. There are ten strong, adult lionesses in your pride. I bet they can take care of themselves."

-"Ten lionesses… but no king!"

-"Again, you worry too much. I'm sure they'll find some appropriate replacement very soon!"

It was one of Scar's malicious jokes, but as he saw the reaction his words had on his brother, he dropped his grin. Mufasa was terrified.

-"And what about the cubs? What about Simba? He's too young to take the throne yet… he's even too young to look after himself!"

They younger brother waited a while before answering. And then he nodded.

-"Yes. Yes, I guess he is…"

The king lowered his head to the floor, burying his face between his paws. His body shivered with a strong, woeful sob.

-"Mufasa…?" – Scar gazed at him with disbelief. – "Mufasa, are you… crying?"

He became speechless. The king could not remember the last time he was this scared. It was probably that day when Simba got ambushed by those stupid hyenas. He managed to save him then, but now he was almost positive that he would see neither his son, nor his mate or any other member of his pride ever again. If that was indeed true, than he had no me reason to live.

-"Wake me up when you're done…" – Scar whispered, turning towards the wall to go to sleep.

It took Mufasa quite some time to calm down, afterwards he just laid there on the floor, thinking about nothing. And then, suddenly, the whole box stopped. The lion quickly poked his brother with an elbow.

-"_Mhhhmm_… what do you want?" – the younger prisoner mumbled sleepily.

-"Scar, brace yourself! We've stopped moving."

-"_Hm_… what?"

Now the two brothers directed their sight towards the wall of bars. On the other side there was still nothing more than just a sandy road, but when everything silenced down, they could hear voices. And a strange, unfamiliar smell of sweat.

-"_Bald monkeys…_" – growled Scar silently.

-"I will tear them apart…" – Mufasa backed him up.

They were both ready to pounce when they saw the first one of their kidnappers. It was a tall male with black skin, covered with pearly drops of sweat that shone in the evening sun. When the man bared his teeth at them, they growled back. Little did the two lions know that the human was indeed smiling.

-"_Jambo, Simba!_" – he said happily, but they couldn't hear him over the sound of their own angry snarls.

The man opened up a little door at the bottom of the barred wall, threw something inside the cage, and then closed the door immediately. With another laugh, he was gone.

The first one to raise and investigate was Scar. Before him he saw a bowl of water and two mangled birds. He cautiously stooped down to sniff the food.

-"Chicken. _Dead_. Never thought I'd be made to eat carrion…" – he uttered with disgust, addressing Mufasa. – "The water's fine, though. Are you gonna eat?"

The king gave him an insecure glare.

-"And what if it's poisoned?"

Scar spat out a chicken head that he'd just bitten off.

-"Oh come on, get reasonable! Would they bother to transport us for so long only to poison us?"

-"Yeah, I suppose not… Are you also thinking that we are in some way valuable to these humans?"

Scar just shrugged, gulping down a chicken wing. Then he invited his brother for the meal with a gesture of his head. Mufasa stood up and drank some water from the bowl, but wouldn't touch the meat complaining that he wasn't in the mood for eating. Scar just smiled, saying that they better get used to not eating like king's sons anymore, and then swallowed the second bird as well.

-"I have a feeling this is going to be a long trip…" – Mufasa sighed, lying down in the corner of the cage.

Very soon, far too soon for natural causes, the two brothers were abducted into the land of sleep.

* * *

**AN: Okay, first of all- I wanted to say that I have NEVER had so many reviews to just the first chapter of any of my stories! Thank you, thank you, thank you to both my old, faithful readers and also to the kind new ones! Also, thanks a lot for liking my cover picture! It took me like 6 minutes to make it in Paint and I am myself very proud of it! XD _Arigato_! (bows profoundly)**

**So this was chapter 2. I hope it's not too long for you. As you have probable noticed, I made a little experiment with the 'Raisers journal' notes- they are going to be placed in the beginning of every chapter, showing the point of view of the human zoologist responsible for Mufasa and Scar. The note will also show real, interesting facts connected with the life of lions.  
**

**I attempted to show the brothers' reaction to such a tragic event in their lives in a realistic way, paying attention to not depicting them as total cry babies on the other hand and cynical heartless beasts on the other. Did I do good? **

**Review- I dare you! I mean it, go ahead- make my day!  
**

**PS.- _Jambo, Simba _means 'hello there lions' in Swahili, since I suppose the Pridelands are somewhere around Tanzania. But no, Mufasa and Scar won't be able to actually talk to humans XD  
**


	3. A long Trip

**Day 3**

_Raiser's journal._

_The journey was relatively peaceful. The lions are calm and do not fight each other. Only a few times they had to be given sedatives due to unstable behavior and banging at the walls of their cage. They have both eaten the given food. Today we have reached the port, put the lions to sleep and placed them in separate cages so they would be safe during the cruise. It's kind of sad to think that this is probably the last time they'll see Africa, but I suppose their new, luxurious and safe home is already waiting for them._

* * *

_Bang, bang, bang_!

-"Muffy! Are you there?"

-"Shut up… Scar! And stop… knocking. This isn't funny…"

-"Oh brother dear, I've known you all my life and I never knew that you were sea-sick! _Hahaha_!"

Scar's stupid jokes were almost driving Mufasa crazy. Not only was he now stranded in a tight, uncomfortable cage, inside some dark and overly unpleasant place, but the floor was also dancing and rocking underneath his paws, making every gut in his body tangle and mix.

At the end of their previous voyage, the humans put him and his brother to sleep. Fortunately, Mufasa wasn't as greedy as Scar and didn't eat much of the seemingly dormitive food they were given, and was still half-conscious of what was happening to him. He saw the _bald monkeys_, as his brother called them, opening the door to their cage for the first time. The king wanted intensively to jump out of the box and run until he came back to the Pridelands… but he just wasn't able. In despair, he could only passively observe as the kidnappers took him away from his brother and put them both in separate, tight cages. For years he and Scar haven't been getting along well, one could even say that they in fact hated each other, but in these circumstances Mufasa felt great fear that he could be divided from his sibling forever. Later he saw that his cage was being transported to some huge construction. A construction that was placed… upon the waves of the ocean.

And that was where he was now- understanding little but the fact that the rocking of the floor was indeed a result of drifting on water, constantly close to throwing up, but still happy to find out that after he woke up, Scar answered his calls from the cage that was placed right beside his. But his happiness didn't last for long, as his brother, unaffected by the dancing of the waves, started not only to enjoy the second phase of their journey, but also to taunt the 'mighty king' for subduing to 'such a petty thing as sea-sickness'.

-"I told you to leave that last chicken for me, Muffy!"

-"May you rot!" – Mufasa growled, immediately noticing that he'd made a huge mistake. As the only chicken he did eat sprung out of his gullet with a loud cackle, Scar could no longer control his laughter.

-"_Mwahahaha_! I think I'm going to cry… Imagine if Sarabi could see you now!"

-"_SHUT UP_!" – the older lion roared from the top of his lungs, mad at his own helplessness and thoroughly disgusted.

Scar coughed, loosing his breath. For some time he was trying to catch it, almost choking in the process, but after he was finally able to calm down, he let go of his senseless mocking.

-"So… you're saying that we are at sea, yes?"

-"I'm not talking to you!" – Mufasa snarled in an offended tone.

-"Oh come on, do you rather gaze at your own puke? Since we're doomed to each other's presence, we might as well make the best of it."

-"I don't suppose that's possible with _you_… And by the way, since when have you become so talkative?"

-"_Puh_! And what if I told you that I wanted to finally end this unkindness that has been polluting our mutual relations for years?"

Mufasa thought for a moment. Not like everyone else, he could sense his brother's well hidden sarcasm.

-"I wouldn't believe you" – he said finally.

-"_Ha_! Clever boy…" – chuckled the younger lion.

Then everything went silent for a while, until some strange, squeaking sound ripped through the air. Suddenly, the whole chamber in which their cages stood, shook forcefully. Mufasa plunged his claws into the floor, barely able to withstand being thrown over the wall, and then he heard a sound that made him think that his brother's cage had come loose and was struck against the wall.

-"Scar! Are you okay, brother?"

Everything was calm in a second and for some time the lion king did not hear any response at all… but then he recognized a sound that proved undeniably that also his brother had just lost his lunch. And probably his breakfast, too.

-"_Hahaha_! You were saying something about having unnecessarily big meals, brother?"

-"_SHUT YOUR MOUTH, MUFASA_! Don't you utter a…" – he didn't finish. He wasn't able, as his stomach was taken by another contraction.

-"Well, anyway, I suppose my speculations are true. Judging from the waves, this whole contraption has to be on the open sea at the moment. I guess we can kiss Africa goodbye, brother…" – Mufasa sighed finally.

-"I know another place you can kiss…" – Scar muttered angrily, displeased to the limit with having to literarily lick himself into shape.

Despite their quarrels, the brothers shared but one dream- that they would live long enough to see the end of this unbearable journey.

* * *

**AN: I know, I know- puking jokes are crude and primitive… But even despite that Mufasa and Scar both had a ball XD Neither of them had ever actually seen the ocean, so I guess it's normal that their stomachs went nuts. But don't worry- they'll get to their point of destination. _Eventually._**

**So how you like'em in these new sircumstances? Remember the old Chinese proverb- 'he who reviews, is awesome'._  
_**


	4. Somewhere

**Day 7**

_Raiser's journal._

_It has been a week since the lions' capture and we are slowly getting close to the place of our destination. I'm checking on them on a daily basis- though they still can't stand the presence of humans (they growl and claw at the fence whenever they see me), they seem to be taking the trip moderately well. I ordered the ship's crew to double-check the attachment of the cages just to make sure situation like that one from day 3 wouldn't happen again. It's far too much stress for the lions. They are magnificent creatures- I could watch them all day long via the surveillance camera. When they aren't sleeping, they call out to each other many times during the day, fully conscious of the other one's presence even though they can't see each other. I'm judging that this presence helps them endure the hardship of the cruise, because due to regurgitation of food they eat rarely and are visibly disturbed. I can't blame them- this constant rocking is driving me mad as well! I also can't drop the feeling that these two males are bound to each other somehow, even though they are very different in their outer appearance and have been caught in a fair distance separating one from the other. I guess that will just have to be investigated when I finally get to my lab._

* * *

"_From the day we arrive on the planet, and blinking step into the sun… There's more to see that can ever be seen, more to do that can ever be done…"_

-"Shut it, Mufasa! You know bloody well that you can't sing!" – Scar snapped with irritation.

-"Oh yeah?" – the offended king rose from the floor of his cage. – "I would enjoy very much to hear you doing a better job. You can go right ahead- be my guest!"

-"_Hm-hm_, well _my _singing voice had been commonly known and admired all throughout the Pridelands!"

-"_What_? Don't be ridiculous, 'all throughout the Elephant Graveyard' is what you wanted to say!"

-"Watch your mouth, brother! You can consider yourself lucky that they kept us in these separate cages after we left the sea, or else I would show to you something more than just my singing abilities!"

-"_Ha_! Is that a challenge? You know, they're bound to release us someday. _Then_ I would _love_ to see that happening, Scar…"

Their conversations, even though most of them resembled that one, were still a way for the brothers to get their minds off their hopeless condition. They had been on the road for a whole week and they were sure that they would never see their family again. Especially Mufasa was falling deeper into depression whenever he let that thought cross his mind, and so, though reluctantly, he was forcing himself to continue talking with Scar.

-"Okay, I dare you" – said the older lion boldly and almost merrily. – "I bet you will not be able to sing the chorus correctly. It's way above the possibilities of your vocal chords!"

Scar chuckled, feeling the thrill of true rivalry- a sensation he did not have since when his brother became king and the possibility of defeating him even in the field of singing became unimaginably distant.

-"_Hm-hm_, you've heard nothing yet… We have a deal."

Scar raised from the ground and sat, straightening his back and filing his diaphragm with air. Then, after clearing his throat, he began to wail in his dreary baritone.

_-"It's the circle of liiiiife…"_

-"Oh, have mercy! All these false notes are going to make my ears bleed…" – Mufasa lamented from behind the cage wall, but Scar wasn't paying attention to that.

_-"… and it moves us a-all, through despair and ho-ope, through faith and lo-ooove!"_

-"No, Scar, stop it! Please, you're raping this beautiful song, I can't bare such cruelty against music…"

_-"… in the cir-cleee, the circle of liiife!"_

-"There's a _glissando _the first time you sing the word 'circle'! A slide, Scar! You clearly missed that slide…"

Although both full of emotion, the brothers silenced immediately as soon as they noticed that they were stopping again. For some time now they have been riding in the back of a delivery truck, again not having a clue to where they were or what was going on around them. The sight from the other side of the bars was alien and unrecognizable for them, as lions born in the wild seldom have the chance of seeing human buildings and houses. But as well as they could recognize, at the moment they seemed to be in some kind of a forest. And then, suddenly, two pale faces of _bald monkeys _appeared in their sight, sending them up on their feet, growling.

-"Come on, you cowards! You think you can just abduct lion kings whenever you want without any consequences? Just open this cage- you'll remember me!" – Mufasa yelled, trying to provoke the humans even though he was perfectly conscious that they could not understand him. Just behind the wooden wall, he also heard his brother's angry taunting.

-"You bastards! You filthy scum! Come closer if you dare, I'll tear your throats and eat your hearts out!"

But the two men only laughed at their snarls, after what one of them raised some strange stick and… shot Mufasa with a tranquilizing dart. Scar was shocked to hear his brother silence and stumble to the floor.

-"Brother… _Brother_! Answer me, damn you! You bloody ape bastards! Just wait till I…"

And then he was shot himself. Mufasa was right- it felt just like a hornet sting.

* * *

**AN: Oww, they aren't there yet? Well, if you think that's frustrating, imagine how frustrated the brothers are! They even organizes a singing competition, and everyone knows that Mufasa and Scar, in fact, both can't sing. Well 'Be prepared' is cool and all, but ol' King-Killer says the lyrics more than he sings them. And the fact that Mufasa's song was totally erased from the film also does prove something, now doesn't it?**

**The two lions might not have a chance for an opera career, but they still are close to becoming a _sensational_ atraction. **


	5. New Home

**Day 8**

_Raiser's journal._

_Home sweet home! As soon as we got to the ZOO, I ordered the lions to be anaesthetized and immediately got to work. I ran a full set of general tests on them and was I ever excited to finally have a chance to touch them with my bare hands! The older one (which I named 'Red' due to the color of his large mane) has a magnificent, muscular built, weighing at an astounding 220 kilos and being 3.18 meters long along with his tail. The younger one ('Black') is smaller, a little underweight with his 167 kilos and 2.93 meters of length, but a black-maned lion is still a precious specimen. Nonetheless, both are healthy, unhurt, fertile and seem to be clear of parasites. The Director is very pleased and has assured me that the Lion Walk has been constructed according to my instructions an is all ready to receive it's new inhabitant. We're looking forward to tomorrow morning, when the lions will finally be released from their cages. With a little luck, if they adjust to their new environment fast, the ZOO's visitors will be able to see our new exhibition as soon as Monday. I myself am also looking forward to see the results of the lions' blood tests._

* * *

The place was a small portion of land, trees, big rocks and a little stream in the middle, all surrounded by impenetrable fences and also a tall, wooden wall. Every attempt of either climbing or jumping over would have been futile. It took just ninety-six steps to walk all around the whole terrain, as Mufasa was able to calculate. The Lion Walk was far from the endless fields of the Pridelands. Very far.

After taking a good look at their new home, the lion king directed his sad eyes towards his brother with a sigh. Scar has been doing nothing besides sitting on the ground with a crooked back.

-"Well, at least we're out of the cage…" – the older brother attempted to say a few words of consolation, although not being consoled by them himself. Without turning his head, with a hollow expression and a hollow voice, Scar addressed his companion in misery.

-"Mufasa… Tell me- were you conscious when they… took us out of our cages?"

-"Yes…" – his answer was filled with displeasure.

-"And how about… later?"

-"You mean… during the tests?"

-"Right. I see you know what I'm talking about…"

-"Yes. I was… quite conscious, even though I couldn't move or do anything else…"

They looked each other in the eyes. The faces of both were covered with a sense of personal hurt and humiliation.

-"I feel… bad." – Scar moaned.

-"Me too. Let's… not mention that again, okay?"

The younger brother nodded and lowered his head, trying to send away the thoughts of pain and disgrace that he'd experienced.

-"Hey! Look over there!" – Mufasa exclaimed suddenly. He pointed at a group of humans that were standing on the other side of the fence, gazing at them both with great interest. The brothers acted simultaneously, sending out a fierce, mutual growl and charging at the helpless creatures that had the audacity to imprison two royal lions. But when they were both very close to biting into the humans' flesh… they crushed into a hard wall that none of them was able to see.

-"_OWW_! What the hell is this?" – Scar roared, rubbing his aching nose.

-"A transparent wall! Just great!" – Mufasa answered, trying forcefully to claw at the invisible yet very tangible obstacle that was the cause of the pain he was feeling in his head.

-"Perfect! Bloody perfect! Some new home this is… And what are you pathetic lowlifes staring at!" – the younger brother yelled at the grinning humans on the other side of the wall, also forcefully bashing at the armored glass with both his front paws. – "Come inside, I _dare_ you! I'll tare those smiling faces right from your skulls! Cowardly idiots…"

But after a few minutes of growling and tackling at the glass, both of the brothers decided to cease. It was no use. They might have been top cats back in Africa, but in the ZOO none of them was king or prince or anything similar to that. They were now the humans' prisoners. Their source of entertainment.

-"It's all your fault!" – Scar couldn't stand to hold that thought in his mind anymore.

-"_What_?" – Mufasa responded with shock. – "Tell me, brother- just how is this _my_ fault?"

-"Quite simple! You are, or rather, _were _the king of the Pridelands, weren't you? Isn't a king responsible for the safety of his subjects? For each and every one of them? Do you remember any lion being abducted during our _father's_ reign, for instance?"

Scar's yelling was raising a great wave of anger inside the older lion. But eventually, he wasn't angry with him. He was angry with himself. Scar's words, as harsh as they were, were also true. Mufasa had failed as a king.

-"I… I'm afraid you're right…" – he mumbled sadly. – "I suppose I am… I _was_ a lousy ruler, and now I'm paying my price. It just causes me pain to know that with my mistake I also hurt you and my whole family…"

_What? _Was Mufasa just confessing to have done something wrong? Scar could not believe that- in his opinion, his brother was so puffed up with his monarchy, that he always failed to recognize his errors. No, this had to be some kind of a trick.

-"What are you talking about?" – he snarled, to what Mufasa gave him a look of sincere grief.

-"I'm sorry, brother. The morning before we were abducted, Zazu came to me with a message that someone had spotted humans in the Pridelands. But I just wouldn't listen and… I ignored his warning."

With tearful eyes, he observed as Scar's face became twisted with wild, violent fury.

-"You… did… _what_?"

He shouted out the last word and not more than an eye-blink later, the 220-kilogram Mufasa found himself pinned to the ground by the crushing attack of the 167 kilo raw mass of Scar's body.

-"You _idiot_!" – roared the younger sibling, viciously trying to hurt the other one with his ever-sharp claws. But the former king wasn't up for getting ripped to shreds.

-"You… are… pushing it!" – Mufasa gasped, dodging his brother's blows. Then he gave him a strong kick to the stomach with his hind leg. One… and then another one just after that. Scar flinched for a second, accepted a right hook straight to the side of his jaw, and was momentarily thrown to the side with the back of his head hitting a rock at the bottom of the shallow stream, this time himself being crushed by Mufasa.

-"_Mwahahaha_!" – he snickered gruesomely, stretching his bleeding lips into a wide grin. – "Can you remember the last time we've had such a fight?"

-"No, but I remember I won!" – the bigger feline growled with his paws placed firmly on his opponent's chest.

-"Oh cool down, Muffy… You aren't going to _kill_ me, are you? Being responsible for another's abduction is nothing when compared to murder…"

Glaring into his brother's sharp fangs, Scar was only calm on the outside. His heart thumped as he awaited an answer, shivering from the cold of the water he was lying in.

-"Hey, it's just you and me…" – he whispered.

Mufasa meditated over the whole situation. He was very angry, but in the end, having to face his sorrow alone would have been hell for him. Instead, he decided that he rather let his malicious brother live, so that maybe when combined, their brains and brawn would someday rescue them from this armpit of the world.

-"Consider this your last chance…" – he hissed, and then got off Scar's chest. His brother raised slowly, water dripping down from his head.

-"All right, Mister Lawful… _Puh_, I _hate _getting my mane wet!" – the lion uttered through clenched teeth combing his hair back in shape as Mufasa turned away from him and wandered to the other side of the walk. – "From now on, we're on the same cart, you hear me? No more kingship. No more hierarchy. We are brothers and in this cursed place we are equal to each other. Did you understand what I just said?"

-"We'll discuss that tomorrow, Scar! I don't want to see you anymore today" – the older lion responded in a troubled tone, lying on the ground with his back against the wiry fence.

-"It's going to be quite hard since you can only go as far as forty steps away from me, you know!" – shouted the other one, lying on the opposite side of their new little homeland.

Only then did the humans from the other side of the glass wall cease to observe the brothers' behavior.

* * *

**AN: Hooray for lion duels! I suppose that with both Mufasa and Scar's 'edgy' characters, we might be seeing more of this kind of behavior in the future. Can anyone find a 'Fight Club' quote in this chapter? XD**

**Will the brothers survive in this extremely miniature Pride Land? It ain't gonna be that easy for those two wild animals that have been totally stripped of their royal privileges…**


	6. We're being watched

**Day 10**

_Raiser's journal._

_Yesterday's events were, delicately speaking, a little less calm that I had initially thought. It seems that Red and Black had expected their new home to be something more, because immediately after being released in the Lion Walk, they started attacking both the walls and each other. I was close to shooting them with tranquilizer, fortunately enough they became tired before any of them got seriously hurt. The Director was somewhat concerned. He even asked me if it wouldn't be better to separate the two so that the day of their presentation wouldn't end up as a fiasco. I took the risk and said that it wasn't necessary. Later that day, I went to the lab to receive the results of the lions' blood tests. And was I ever glad when I found out that Red and Black were actually… brothers! Two sons of the same couple, probably a team of rogues that were simply caught on the opposite sides of their hunting territory. And furthermore, they turned out to indeed be of Cape Lion ancestry! I was right about Black- the one fourth of his Panthera Leo Melanochaitus blood is clearly visible in his extraordinary outer features. I just can't wait to announce that on the National Zoology Association convention. For now, we are still observing the two, hoping that they will indeed act like brothers when the ZOO's visitors finally see them today. I have heard that there have been many phone calls concerning that matter, and the Director is awaiting a large income. I myself await my long-deserved raise, so the lions better not fail their new daddy!_

* * *

For the past ten minutes, Scar had been grooming his hind leg, exposing just how flexible his body was. Mufasa hadn't slept very well and wasn't in the mood for spending the whole morning on nursing his fur, so he decided to eat an early breakfast. He noticed that the humans were bringing food to their walk when he and his brother were asleep. It was very thoughtful of them, because even a lion as calm as Mufasa considered that if he ever saw a human on his side of the fence, he would undoubtedly feast on the _bald monkey's _meat. But for now, all he had to eat were a bunch of birds with their heads chopped off. _Again_.

-"I _hate_ these chickens…" – whined the lion silently, gazing at his poor meal. Surprisingly, that remark made Scar redirect his attention from his overly precise bath.

-"Don't eat them, then" – he said plainly, to what Mufasa just snorted.

-"_Puh_! You and your lame advices…"

Scar narrowed his eyes.

-"I wasn't joking, you know. If you dislike the food we're being given, then just leave it on the ground. Show the humans you despise it. They will bring us something else, eventually."

His brother gave him a look of distrust.

-"How do you know that?"

-"Isn't it obvious? The humans have some personal benefits in keeping us alive and in good health. They actually _care_ for us. Haven't you noticed that?"

Now that Mufasa thought about it, it was indeed very possible. But he didn't want to admit it to Scar. He just rolled his eyes and turned away from the chickens with a frown of distaste, later jumping on top of one of the big rocks in their walk that served as a perfect place to lay around. Still emerged in his thought, he gave his companion an inquiring gaze.

-"Scar?"

The younger lion reluctantly stopped licking his right thigh.

-"Yeees?" – he said protractedly.

-"How many trees are there in this place?"

Scar was silent for a few seconds and then he simply answered-

-"Thirteen."

Mufasa, startled, quickly counted them out. His brother was correct- there were thirteen trees in their walk. The lion looked at his perceptive sibling in astonishment, but the other one was already preoccupied with his washing again.

-"You were right. In this miniature pride, you've got the brains and I've got the muscles…" – sighed the one with the muscles.

-"Well aren't we a dream team" – hummed the one with the brains.

Mufasa sat at the edge of the rock, observing the area, imagining that he was still on Pride Rock. And then, high in the upper branches of one of their thirteen trees, he noticed a small bird. Another animal, a native of this land, someone who could provide some useful information. Content that he himself still had some brains of his own, the lion jumped down from his stony couch and stood under the tree.

-"Hello there!" – he called out. – "Hey you, bird! Would you mind if I asked you something?"

There was no reaction. Mufasa stood on his hind legs and attempted to shake the tree using his paws.

-"Hello! It's rude to ignore the king of beasts, you know!"

Immediately, the bird sprang from the tree and hovering in mid air, piercing the lion with a gaze of hate.

-"Go mate a dog, carnivore!" – he shouted, afterwards dropping a guano torpedo and disappearing instantly.

Mufasa turned around, irritated. Scar was rolling on the ground laughing.

-"Oh right, very funny!" – exclaimed the 'king of beasts'.

-"_Hahaha_! _'Go mate a dog, carnivore!'_ I haven't heard that one before… Those angry birds are quite amusing! Brother, you should really remember that we are no longer in the Pridelands and the vulgar folk here will not treat you as their king. Don't look so embarrassed! Welcome to the life of a commoner, _your majesty_!"

Mufasa didn't say a word, trying hard to keep his patience as he watched his brother lifting from the ground and swiping the dirt off his shoulders.

-"You shouldn't laugh, Scar" – he said coldly.

-"Oh, and why is that?"

-"Cause that bird just… polluted our only waterhole."

-"What?" – the younger lion's jaw almost hit the floor. – "What kind of a bird was that? I'm going to _RIP HIS WINGS OFF_ and make him run around the next time I see him!"

-"Uh, it was a swallow, I guess."

-"What do you mean? African or European swallow?"

-"I… I don't know that!"

Scar just sighed and covered his face with a paw.

-"I'm still surrounded by idiots…" – he uttered his catch-phrase as a frown of general disgust covered his face. – "Move away, princy! I'll show you how to talk to lesser creatures."

Mufasa observed with interest as his brother sat under the trees, trying to catch every sign of movement among the leaves. After a minute or so, the black-haired feline bared his fangs in a grin.

-"Hey, you over there, _negro_! Come hear me out for a while and there might be something in it for you."

Surprisingly, from the top of one of the trees, a big raven flew down and sat at a lower branch, gazing at the brothers with a smile.

-"Well whaddya know, the ZOO's famous new inhabitants decided to speak to me! Man, am I flattered…"

-"What's your name, raven?" – Scar asked probably as politely as he was capable of.

-"Me? The name's Moses, pleased to meet ya. Who're you guys?"

-"My name is Scar and…"

-"… and I'm Mufasa" – the older lion broke into the conversation, also sitting under the branch on which the bird sat. – "What kind of a name is 'Moses', anyway?" – he inquired.

-"Hell, I don't know, I didn't pick it… I once heard that it's of Egyptian origin."

-"Are you trying to tell us that… we're somewhere close to Egypt?" – Mufasa wanted to continue his interview, but after hearing the question, the bird just burst out laughing.

-"_Pfff, hahaha_! You poor bastards! You think you're still in Africa?" – Moses was close to falling from his branch. Mufasa growled, but Scar decided to keep up the useful conversation.

-"Listen here, if you tell us where we are, we'll let you eat the chickens that are lying over there on that rock. Agreed?"

The bird calmed down, took a swift look towards the direction that Scar was pointing, nodded and then flew swiftly to the ground.

-"Welcome to Europe, Scar and Mufasa. Just… don't come any closer, okay?" – he said before he began to peck at the dead poultry.

The brother shared a sorrowful look. They were in _Europe? _Until now they hoped that they at least haven't been taken from their native continent, so that it would be possible to return to the Pridelands on foot. Now their dreams were popped like a bubble.

-"_Ha-ha_, look guys! Bird eat bird!" – Moses was trying to attract their attention. – "_Heh_, I crack myself up… But wait! What's going on?"

This time also Scar and Mufasa started looking around nervously. It seemed that everywhere they looked, behind the glass walls and the wiry fence of their prison, an endless horde of humans appeared and started walking, shouting laughing and pointing their skinny paws at them. It was the most thoroughly intimidating, embarrassing and irritating feeling the lions have ever experienced.

-"Oh guano, seems they opened the ZOO early today! Gotta fly. See ya later fellows, thanks for the snack! I'll be around, so if you ever need me- just roar!"

Moses flew off, leaving the two brothers in the middle of some unbearable circus.

-"What is this _nonsense_?" – Mufasa snarled with disgust.

-"This is what they call a ZOO, brother" – Scar growled, not even trying to hide how angry he was. – "Do you remember taking that little furball of yours to the savanna to show him the many animals that inhabited the Pridelands? Well, this here is something similar, only that the animals stay locked up in cages. Oh, and guess what? _We are_ those animals."

Mufasa gave him a communicative look. This was one of the rare occasions when the brothers agreed with each other- this truly was the armpit of the world.

* * *

**AN: Tough luck getting locked up for no reason, eh? Well the brothers might have some awesome traits that enable them to survive in such conditions- first of all, they're both lions, which is a lot. Secondly, one of them is as beefy as a professional body-builder while the second one is a feline villain master-mind. There's only just one little problem- they _hate_ each other.**

**So will Mufasa and Scar learn to cooperate? It's not easy for them even to communicate with their fellow-animals, as we could see… But these characters are also going to play a significant role in the later events- for example the raven Moses- a means of contact with other inhabitants of the ZOO. I don't know if anyone remembers this, but Moses is a character I borrowed from Orwell's "Animal Farm". Hope he doesn't mind…**

**So at the moment I am having the craziest ideas about what's going to happen next- ideas about prison breaks and new lions at the ZOO... I'll see which of these are going to get realised. I really want to thank for your appreciation- as always, I will try not to fail my dear readers XD**

**Read! Review! Live long and prosper!**


	7. Cold Night

**Chapter 7 – Cold Night **

**Day 15**

_Raiser's journal._

_Daddy was right about his boys again! The visitors are crazy about the lion brothers and the ZOO has been overcrowded since day one. Red and Black have been behaving excellently, a little startled at first to see such a great commotion around them, but later returning to their typical lifestyle. They are slowly adjusting to living in the Lion Walk, although the fact that they still can't bare people coming inside is somewhat concerning to me. I ordered the Walk to be cleaned twice a week, but sometimes the spectators throw trash inside and then we have to wait until evening for someone to take it out, being as careful as possible. The boys are strong sleepers, but you can never be too cautious. The fact that they do not sleep during the day is quite odd, but still I suppose the visitors prefer to watch them a lot more when they are awake. I let myself do a little experiment yesterday. Since the lions refused to eat poultry, I told two ZOO employees to bring a freshly slain goat and throw it into the Lion Walk with a lot of people watching. The crowd went absolutely crazy when they saw Red and Black ripping every scrap of meat from each other's mouths! I even heard people making bets! It felt as if we were at the Coliseum in ancient Rome. Even the other employees came to watch, since they've never had lions here before. I know that other ZOOs organize such public feeding shows on a regular basis and I intend to speak to the Director about that matter as soon as he can find time for me, since lately he's been extremely busy._

* * *

It was already late at night, but both Mufasa and Scar were not able to fall asleep. Not only did the crowds of humans prevent them from having even a minute of rest during the day, raising a frustrating uproar whenever they got bored with the lions' inaction. Now, after that irritating mob had finally gone away, when evening gave them hope for at least a few hours of sweet slumber, the temperature fell so drastically that the sound of their own ringing teeth prevented them from sleeping. And when it started to rain, they just knew that this was their lucky day.

-"I _h-h-hate_ this E-e-european weather…" – stammered the shaking Mufasa, as he was cringing under a crude wooden shack in the Lion Walk that could barely shelter his whole body from the freezing rain. He raised his eyes towards his brother- Scar looked like nothing more but a piece of wet fur thrown under one of the trees, and he was shivering like a newborn gazelle. That sight made Mufasa feel sad- after all, he was always the older one of the siblings and the duty of looking after his brother still bound him. Fighting the temptation to ignore his royal care, he rose and shook the water from his thick mane, that while wet wasn't providing any additional warmth whatsoever.

-"Scar!" – he called, trying to add a kind note to his voice.

No answer.

-"Brother, you can come over here and lie down beside me if you want- there is still some room left."

Again, no answer.

For ten, twenty seconds… And then, surprisingly, a delicate movement- slowly, almost lazily, the younger lion lifted from the muddy ground and stood in the rain, throwing an extremely unhappy gaze straight at Mufasa. A gaze that was saying- _I'm bloody freezing and I bloody hate getting my mane wet!_ Now, it was totally out of shape and dripping with water, shining with it's obsidian glow. Feeling his bony knees shaking, Scar approached his captive comrade and observed as he laid on the only slightly drier ground under the roof of the shack, stretching out his arm with a smile, inviting him to cuddle up. A twist that expressed deep aversion appeared on the other lion's face.

-"Keep your paws to yourself or I'm going back under the tree" – he demanded.

Mufasa, a little crestfallen, laid his paw back on the ground. Then Scar collapsed right beside him, forcefully stabbing him in the ribs with his protruding scapulae. Well, it wasn't very comfortable… but it didn't take long before they felt the pleasant warmth of each other's bodies. It also didn't take long before Scar made himself cozy leaning over Mufasa, using him as a big soft bed, not caring if the latter felt good with it… Just like they were cubs again- thought the older brother. And that thought gave him a lot of comfort.

-"You know, I've been thinking about Simba." – he decided to try and start a conversation since he didn't hear Scar snoring yet, what clearly meant that, even though he kept silent, he still wasn't asleep.

-"Oh that is _sooo_ exciting…" – sighed the younger brother. He wasn't very surprised about being pushed into another sentimental chat about old memories. – "You know that you are only tormenting yourself with such thoughts, don't you, Mufasa?"

-"Tormenting myself? I think I'm rather trying to cheer myself up, actually. Even though I've lost them, my family is still out there, back in the Pridelands. When I imagine my son flourishing under Sarabi's loving care, I feel that I still have a reason to live. And what about you? You simply have to have at least someone you think about during those long meditations of yours!"

-"Oh, I do! Usually I think about the lambs and cows that will soon become my dinner."

Mufasa knew his brother's cynical approach very well. But he never ceased to wonder whether if it was true and if Scar's heart was really as cold as his words would indicate.

-"But don't you remember any _lions_ in your life? Your family? For example, I don't know… Sarafina?"

Suddenly, Scar burst out with a strong laugh and lifted his head, looking at Mufasa with amusement.

-"_Sarafina_? Why in the world would I want to remember _her_?"

-"Well she was your mate, wasn't she?"

-"Sarafina was a _game_ I played for some time when I was a short-maned youngster!"

-"Well, that's not very kind of you to say… after all, she _did_ give birth to two of your cubs!"

-"_Pff_, right. And one of them died…"

They both became silent for a moment.

-"It's not her fault, you know…" – Mufasa said as delicately as he possibly could as to not scratch an old would in his brother's troubled heart.

-"Listen to me, Mufasa- Sarafina was a pitiful, weak lioness. Mheetu, he… he inherited those traits from his mother, much like a disease."

Scar wanted his voice to sound firm and angry. It didn't. In fact, it sounded awfully sad.

-"Well, you still have Nala."

-"_Me_? We're a thousand bloody miles away! Nala is Sarafina's daughter and _she_ takes care of her. It's _her_ problem, not mine."

The older brother looked at him with his old expression of a disappointed monarch.

-"You didn't act like that before Mheetu died…"

Scar growled, this time fully expressing his fury, and then put his head back at the ground.

-"I don't want to talk about it" – he uttered.

-"Our father wouldn't be very proud of you!"

-"Our father _is dead_, Mufasa! He has passed away years ago, there isn't a bone left after him now."

-"You know that's not true, Scar."

-"Oh yes, please go on. Keep talking! I'm really becoming weary listening to all of your bollocks…"

-"Don't mock my beliefs! You heard what Moses said when I asked him if the animals in Europe believed in the Circle of Life or that their ancestors reside up in the stars. He clearly said that every animal in the world believes that!"

Again, Scar took the effort to lift his head up and glare straight into his brother's eyes.

-"No, Mufasa. Not _every_ animal in the world. _I_, for instance,_ do not_ believe that. The ones who die, die. There is nothing more to it."

His companion just shook his head, throwing around raindrops with his red mane.

-"I'm thinking that your son's death still hurts you more than that old wound on your face!"

Then Scar grinned, and it was one of those horrible, disturbing grins that still used to send shivers down his older brother's back.

-"Right you are, Muffy. It does hurt. It hurts so much that if I could turn back time to meet the stork that brought Mheetu to me, I would bite his neck straight off."

He chuckled, as Mufasa observed him with disgust.

-"_Hmf_! You know very well that you yourself are that stork…"

-"_Heh-heh_, well what do you know, you must be right since I even migrated to Europe recently! Who can guess, maybe in some time I'll grow wings and even start delivering babies myself!"

It was always awkward for Mufasa to hear Scar make such malicious jokes. They started from Scar's son's tragic death and now he was talking about himself being a stork… It was nonsense. That would have to mean that his older brother was a stork too, since he also migrated from Africa to Europe… He just wandered when he would migrate _back _to Africa.

And then, suddenly, Mufasa felt enlightened. It was like thunder, a new shine of hope- like the night and the cold rain suddenly ended and the walls of their cage fell down revealing to them a straight way leading home.

-"Scar! You are a _genius_!" – he shouted.

His brother wasn't only shocked because of the older lion's sudden change of mood. He was shocked because this was the first time in his life when his brother stated that _obvious_ truth. And also because Mufasa grabbed him by the head with his paws, smiling straight into his face. For a moment there, Scar feared that his sibling was going to kiss him… fortunately, he just surrounded him with his muscular arms for a moment and squeezed so hard that the smaller lion was close to loosing his breath.

-"What the bloody, bloody, _bloody_ hell do you think you are doing?" – Scar groaned with total shock in his voice, breaking away from the constricting embrace.

-"Oh nothing, nothing! I'll tell you tomorrow! C'mon, let's go to sleep."

Mufasa threw himself to the ground and closed his eyes, still smiling. For a moment, Scar considered if it wouldn't be better to return to his previous spot under the tree… but seeing the rain, it took him only a moment to decide that he rather have his crazy brother's soft, warm yellow fur as a pillow for the rest of the night.

* * *

**AN: Yeah, it had to come to this. After years of mutual antipathy, now that the brothers are stranded together in one tight cage, the urge to talk starts raising inside them. And thus comes a serious conversation, that reveals some of their darkest secrets, among which probably the most serious one is…**

**Yes, Scar was Sarafina's mate. And he's Nala and Mheetu's father, but since he experienced the latter's death extremely painfully… he no longer considers his former mate and his daughter as his family. Is that unlikely? Well, actually, it isn't. And what's wrong with Nala and Simba being first cousins? You think lions care about such things? Ha! Obviously a lot less than Disney does.  
**

**So this matter still needs to be explained, as it is extremely important both in the life of Scar and his whole pride. As will be Mufasa's mysterious idea about the stork.**


	8. Moses' Morning Report

**Day 16**

_Raiser's journal._

_Autumn decided to show up early this year. I noticed the boys are a little nervous about the harsh weather- nothing strange considering that they'd spent their whole life in Africa. I stuff the food I give them with vitamins and immunity nutrients so they'll be able to bare their first winter. I suppose we're going to have to install some warming device in the stream at the Lion Walk, but there's still time for that. Today I also finally had the chance to talk to the Director. I related to him my ideas about the public feeding and showed him a few videos of how it's done in other countries. His reaction was… well, 'enthusiastic' wouldn't be a sufficient answer. He simply demanded Red and Black to be publicly fed with goats and lambs daily, and even thought of making Monday a 'Lion Feeding Day' as a weekly event at the ZOO. And by 'Lion Feeding' he meant to provide the visitors with a possibility to buy live chickens to afterwards throw them into the Lion Walk with their own hands- an idea borrowed from a ZOO in China. I'm starting to think that the guy is a little overreacting… When I expressed my concerns about what if the Vet Inspection sees this, he told me not to worry and to expect a raise if everything works out. Well, I'll try, but if there is any kind of trouble, he'll be the one responsible._

* * *

Moses the raven was standing on top of a rock in front of Mufasa without fear. In fact, he was exposing his shiny, ebony feathers with a lofty pride. For some time now, the bird has become the lions' private messenger and a source of information about their new surroundings. The older one of the brothers gave him a proposition, that if he would show up every morning to tell them about the latest news and gossip, he would be rewarded with the opportunity to feast at their leftover scraps of meat. The raven had occasionally transported information on request of the other animals from the ZOO, as there was a kind of network of connection between the cages where the free birds proved to be of indescribable assistance, but being a full-time employee of lions was really a dream job. Mufasa gave him the title of 'majordomo', and even though Moses didn't have a clue about what that actually meant, he was still awfully proud of himself.

After greeting his employers with a profound bow, the raven made sure if they were ready to hear him out. Scar was lying at the ground in the distance, chewing at some big bone, not very interested, but Mufasa sat down and nodded, motioning him to proceed.

-"Well, _ekh_." – Moses cleared his throat. – "Yesterday I spent the afternoon collecting responses to your greetings for the other inhabitants of the ZOO, or the 'institution', as they like to call it in their prison jargon… Anyways, almost everyone is pretty happy about your presence- since you became the main attraction, they are having a little break from the humans, if you get my point."

-"Oh we get it." – Mufasa answered, smiling. – "You can tell them we're happy for them."

-"No we're not" – Scar contradicted flippantly, not turning his sight by a single inch from his femur. _Thus spoke the expert of communicating with lesser beings_- his brother thought, and then showed Moses to continue.

-"Yeah. The ones who were most excited about your arrival were your cousins, the Eurasian lynxes. Amanda, the female, had given birth not long ago and she said to me she'd been telling stories about lions to her cubs. She said the brushes on their ears were shivering when they found out that lions were to live here in this very ZOO! The kids are dying to see if you're both as big as their mother had described and the little fellows simply begged me to say 'hi' to you from them. Adorable hairballs… So I'm accomplishing my assignment- here's your 'hi' from the three little lynxes- _'hi!'_" – the bird made a silly face and waved with both his wings, making Mufasa laugh and Scar roll his eyes.

-"_Haha_, oh you be sure to you say 'hi' to them from both of us as well!" – the older lion chuckled. – "I might give you a few hairs from my mane so you can give it to the cubs and show them just how big we are. Or maybe I'll just borrow a whole scalp from _my brother_?" – he grinned craftily.

-"Just _try _and one day you'll wake up lacking a tale" – the younger sibling muttered, still sucking at the tasty marrow.

-"Okay, Moses. Anything more?"

-"Oh yeah! Not only the lynxes are extremely excited about your presence. The wolves said that as soon as night falls today, the first and loudest howl of their entire pack will be especially dedicated to honor you- the legendary mighty carnivores. They're expecting you to watch out for it and roar back, so be prepared!"

-"You heard that, Scar? It's like we're the kings of this place!"

-"_Fascinating_. Too bad for the walls- I'd like to take a walk over at the hoofed mammal section…" – he said with a mouth full of crushed bits of bone.

-"Almost all carnivores are welcoming you to the institution with open paws" – Moses went on with his report. – "Including the bears, the crocodiles, the foxes… even the seals and the kangaroos!"

-"What in the world is a _kangaroo_?" – Scar became interested for once.

-"I have no idea…" – Mufasa sent him a startled glare.

-"Kangaroos are like really big rats from Australia. Never mind, I'll tell ya later. Anyway, they are among just the few mammals that decided to answer your greeting."

-"_Hm-hm_, I wonder why they don't like us so much? _Hmmm…_" – the younger lion turned towards the pair, deciding to fully engage in their conversation, staging an expression of intensive thinking.

-"Among others, the penguins also were quite happy and are asking if you would help them in their plan to escape the ZOO… but I wouldn't pay attention to them if I were you- these guys are kind of crazy. And are there any more messages? Give me a second, let me think… O! Right, I almost forgot! The _zebras_ ordered me to tell you something as well. Their message is- and I quote- _'go mate yourselves'_."

Scar spat out a wave of bone particles as he burst out laughing and started rolling on the ground, kicking the air with his hind legs and almost losing his breath. Mufasa could hold about a second longer before he too started laughing uncontrollably, tears appearing in his eyes. Judging by the raven's formal tone, they've expected something totally different.

-"Did you… did you hear that, Muffy?" – Scar could barely speak. – "Our _food_ is taunting us!"

-"_Haha_! You can tell those hacks that if the humans ever leave our cage open for the night, they'll be the first ones we'll visit! _Hahaha…_"

The bird laughed himself, but he tried not to show how awkward he felt in his heart. In fact, if the lions wanted, they could devour him any time they wanted as well. He was just hoping that they weren't using him as a toy that, when it's owners become bored with it, would be turned into a between-meal snack.

-"Okay, what more have you got to report on this extremely joyful morning?" – Mufasa asked him when he finally recovered from his state of overwhelming merriment. The bird took a moment to review all the things he's been carrying in his memory.

-"Uh, I guess that's all for today. I'll keep you informed if some other animals have any affairs to discuss. Now, have you guys got anything for me? Any comments or feedback messages? Except the one you told me to fly to the zebras with, that is..."

As Moses glared at his interlocutor in expectation, he saw that the redhead lion's face changed to show a kind of happiness that the bird had not seen in the freshly imprisoned brothers' behavior during the few days he knew them. He had an impression that Mufasa was filled with _hope_.

-"Yes, I do have an assignment for as able a majordomo as yourself. Please, listen to me carefully."

The lion bent down in order to whisper into the raven's ear. Moses shuddered for a moment, not comfortable with being so close to the most fierce meat-eater in the ZOO, but soon he was calmed when he heard the placid and slightly excited tone of Mufasa's voice.

Scar was somewhat disturbed seeing that his brother was whispering something to the feathered messenger. Since there was no-one more around, it seemed clear that his cellmate wanted ho hide something from him. He was piercing them with an inquiring gaze, very interested to what kind of message was Moses answering with his "ooh-s", "yeah-s", "right-s" and "I can do that-s". Finally, when Mufasa raised his head, the two animals shared a smile.

-"Man, I must say this is really clever!" – Moses waved his beak with praise.

-"Well, I have to give honor to Scar, cause he was the one who suggested this thought to me. But I will be very happy if you manage to do what I just told you."

-"You gotta understand this may take a few days, but I'll do my best. You can count on me, my fierce feline friends! Smell ya later, I've got a hunch I have a lot of wing-flapping ahead of me. Later Muffy! Later, Scar-face!"

The raven waved his wing and took off, but only the older one of the brothers waved his paw back at him. The younger one stood and came up to the other baring an expression that was almost screaming the words- _I know that you're hiding something from me and I don't like it at all._

-"What are you up to?" – Scar said coldly, narrowing his eyes at his companion's mysterious smile.

-"_Heh-heh_, you won't believe what idea was born in my mind yesterday. And I should be really grateful to you for guiding me to it!"

-"Just cut the foreplay, Mufasa, and get to the point! What were you whispering to that raven?"

-"All right, calm down! You remember yesterday night? When you mentioned storks?"

-"Yes I do, obviously, even though I would rather forget yesterday night… I don't suppose you want one of these scraggy birds to bring you a cub, do you? We kind of lack the proper _female_ particle for that to be possible, you know…"

-"Oh no, that's not it. Please, my well-educated sibling, remind me of a thing I had been wondering about- where do the storks breed?" – Mufasa smiled and delicately stabbed his brother with an elbow, encouraging him to answer.

-"_Hmf_! This is cubs' knowledge! Everyone knows that storks breed in Europe."

-"_Exactly_! This is where we are now, isn't it? Okay, one more question- where do the storks migrate during the colder seasons of the year?"

In a flash, Mufasa's idea became perfectly clear to Scar.

-"They migrate… to Africa" – he uttered as a delicate astonishment covered his face.

-"Yes, Scar! The storks that live where we are now are about to fly to where we used to live! Can you remember their silhouettes among the sapphire sky of the Pridelands? If there is a single one of them here that is heading that way…" – for a second there, the lion's voice broke down and he became very affected – "… we might be able to send a message to our pride. To tell them that we are still alive…"

Scar's outer features did not show how astounded he was by what his brother had just told him. There was just one thought echoing in his head- that, coming from Mufasa, this idea was purely brilliant. But neither the words "brilliant" or "clever" were the ones he actually spoke.

-"This isn't going to work" – he said distrustfully.

-"Have faith, brother! Hope dies last. It's like the stars in the sky- wherever you are, even if clouds cover them entirely, eventually they will show their shining faces again. All it takes is to believe."

-"It's one of father's old sayings, isn't it?" – Scar whispered, emerged in his thoughts.

-"Yes, it is. Just wait for Moses to return- you'll see that this is not pointless."

-"You know, even if he _does_ find a stork that weaves his nest at the very summit of Pride Rock, you'll still have to wait at least a few months for it to come back!"

But hearing that, Mufasa just laughed and surrounded his brother with a paw.

-"_Heh_, I think that if there is anything here that we have lots of, it's time."

The black-maned feline quickly shook his sibling's paw off his shoulders and then wondered off towards the wooden shack.

-"Under the condition that I don't _kill_ you in the meantime…" – he turned around and chuckled archly.

But not even his brother's jokes could ruin the happiness inside Mufasa's heart- a happiness born of hope that even on the other side of the world he still had a chance to somehow communicate with the ones he loved.

* * *

**AN: The role of majordomo becomes greatly extended once the ones he serves get separated from the outside world. Mufasa and Scar slowly realize that now they are somewhat dependant on the help of other animals, and that a little diplomacy might prove very useful. There are many interesting things going on in the ZOO, and some might prove to be of great value to the lion brothers in the future.**

**Like, for example, a simple stork, who can prove to be a kind of long-term Short Message System. Yes, these birds do migrate from Europe to Africa, but what's the chance that one of them will actually go to the Pridelands? Well, since the pride he had to abandon probably considers him and his brother dead, Mufasa is willing to take his chances. Now it's up to Moses to find just the right messenger.**

**I noticed that the number of following readers for this story is growing. Yahoo indeed! XD I may not have as much skill in making people salivate in anticipation, but that's still a very good motivation. Thanks to all of you! Just imagine that every review will give me an extra boost to try harder in making this story even more enjoyable.  
**


	9. Air Mail

**Day 24**

_Raiser's journal._

_The Director's actions are outrageous! Today, when I was driving to work, I saw at least five of the ZOO's new posters, depicting Red and Black and containing information about the time when the lions are fed, promising that the visitors will also have a chance to feed them! The posters have been placed all over town and I am sure that the ZOO has never seen so much people before. There have even been references in the local press. Not that I feel bad for the raise I got or anything, but still I'm kind of concerned about what the Vet Inspection will say. They are simply bound to pay us a visit someday. I'm only happy that the boys are taking this well. They got used to the presence of a lot of spectators and I'm sure that soon they will even tolerate ZOO workers in the Lion Walk. They have both taught themselves not to pay attention to the crowds' yelling when they decide to, for example, take a nap during the day, only as long as they are not disturbed by being thrown with a can or something like that. Then they really show their claws- and the visitors are always happy to catch a pair of growling or even dueling lions on tape with their new camera…_

* * *

The stork was an older female, and as Moses introduced her to the pair of lions, he revealed that her name was Anya. The raven said that after days of searching, he found her to be one of few of her kind who were preparing for their migration, choosing the area east of Mount Kilimanjaro as their destination. After hearing that, Mufasa was almost shaking with emotion. Even Scar, as Moses was able to observe, decided to let go of his _'I am more interested with eating and sleeping than with anything you can possibly tell me' _behavior for once and sat at his brother's side, seemingly waiting in anticipation for what's going to be the result of this encounter.

-"Anya, you have no idea how precious you may prove to be to us!" – the redhead lion spoke holding his breath at the same time. – "Please, tell us- have you ever heard of a place called the Pridelands?"

The stork bent it's long neck in order to put a few loose feathers in shape with her needle-shaped, red beak, and then smiled just like she was remembering some old pleasant event from the past.

-"The _Pridelands_? Oh, did I ever! That place is quite far away from where my family usually lives when we're in Africa, but a few years ago, when I was much younger, one of my male friends asked me if I wanted to visit that legendary kingdom. I knew it was going to be a long flight, but I agreed. And boy, was that a good decision! Not only did I see probably the most fertile and rich part of the continent, but the same male who went there with me asked me if I wanted to become his mate upon one of the large acacia trees… We've been together from that day on and we now have two grown sons of our own. Oh, but excuse my reverie! What's your business in the Pridelands? Moses here told me that you wanted someone of my kind to go there, am I right?"

-"Anya" – the raven addressed the fellow bird with a politeness unusual for his typical, nonchalant manner of being. – "Muffy and Scar-face… uh, I mean Mufasa and Scar _come_ from the Pridelands. They have been brought to the ZOO by the humans less than a month ago."

The stork looked at the lions with sincere compassion.

-"Oh, you poor things! I suppose it must be a shock for you to be put in a cage after you've spent your whole life in the open savanna. I know I wouldn't bare living like this… Oh, I'm sorry!" – she gasped when she saw the look on Scar's face. – "Believe me, I didn't mean any offence! So you're saying that you were the members of the lion pride from the famous Pride Rock?"

Moses chuckled.

-"So, are you gonna tell her or what?" – he gave Mufasa an inquiring gaze.

-"Tell me what?" – asked Anya, startled. The older lion, smiling, considered the thought in his mind for a moment, and then, with a very regal tone in his voice, he said-

-"My dear, I am the _king_ of the Pridelands. And this is my brother, the prince."

The stork looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, her long beak opened with an expression of total shock.

-"I… I can't believe this! Your majesty!" – she stretched out her big wings and bowed her head in a profound gesture of praise. Seeing that, Scar snorted and started to laugh.

-"Oh, what unnecessary courtesy!" – he put his paw upon Mufasa's shoulder. – "You must excuse my brother, stork. Seems that he is having trouble with memorizing certain facts. You _were_ the king of the Pridelands, remember? Now we both are nothing more than just common folk, humble inhabitants of this here 'institution', equal to each other and to everyone else, _hehe_…" – he bared his fangs right in front of his sibling's face. Mufasa fought the anger raising inside him, because he knew that what he said was true.

-"Yes, that's right" – he sighed finally. – "But nonetheless, as a fellow animal and a fellow creature taking part in the Circle of Life, I wish to ask you a favor, Anya."

The bird still kept her extremely formal pose.

-"I will be honored to serve you in every way I can!"

-"You are very kind. In that case, please- listen to me carefully. If you really know the Pridelands and a place called Pride Rock, know that there lives a family of lions- our pride which we have left behind too suddenly to even say goodbye. They are everything we love, and I assume that you yourself, as a mother, understand that. There you will find a lioness whose name is Sarabi- she is undoubtedly the queen and the leader of the pride. She is my mate, and our little son, Simba… he is my chosen heir and successor" – Mufasa had to put in a great lot of effort to control his emotions. His voice was shaking, the expression on his face revealing a barely held back urge to cry. Anya, and even Moses felt deeply touched with his words, while Scar's face remained as cold stone. – "I suppose… I suppose they all think we are dead. I know my pride to be a strong one and I am confident that they will manage to survive, but still… I would wish so much to be able to send them a message!"

He looked the stork straight in the eyes with his bright, amber iris, behind which she could sense a feeling of deep longing that dwelled from a heart filled with ardent love.

-"I will travel to the Pridelands for you" – she spoke, herself deeply affected. – "You have my word, I will try my best. What do you want me to tell them?"

Mufasa took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. Immediately, two tears fell from both of them, wetting the fur on his cheeks.

-"Tell Sarabi… that I am alive. That I have been captured by humans and am now in Europe along with my brother… that we're safe, that we have enough food and water… but we can't find a way, to come back home" – the lion sobbed, afterwards quickly wiping the new tears that appeared in his eyes. – "To my son… Please, tell Simba… that I love him. With all my heart. And that I always will. And that I believe that when he grows up, he is going to be the best king our land has ever had! Tell this to my whole pride- that they should not worry. That I do not _permit_ them to worry or to lose their hope! To stay strong, and to always remember… that when they direct their sight towards the stars at night… somewhere, far away, I too will be looking at the same stars."

Moses flew up to Mufasa and landing beside him, put his wing on the lion's back.

-"Will you remember?" – said the feline, again trying to regain a more dignifying feature. But Anya was all in tears herself.

-"Yes!" – she sniffed. – "I will, I'll remember every word…"

Everyone became silent for a few good minutes. The first one to break the nostalgia of the moment was Scar. He just sighed deeply, then turned around and started walking away towards the rock upon which he usually rested.

-"Scar!" – Mufasa called out to him in a somewhat firm tone. But he did not get an answer. – "Brother, you know that this is your only chance!"

But the dark lion just positioned himself comfortably on the rock, with one of his front paws serving him as a pillow and the other one hanging loose. His older companion just shook his head and turned towards the stork.

-"You can't imagine how thankful I will be if you manage to find my family… And if you come back…"

-"I am not doing this for a reward. It is an honor to serve the king, even a former one. I will be happy to help both you and your pride, and you have my word that I will do my best."

Mufasa smiled.

-"Thank you, Anya. You are a noble bird. You remind me of Zuzu, my former majordomo… while Moses reminds me of her son, Zazu, who later inherited her duties and carried them out exemplary. But I have one more question for you- pardon me for asking, but how long is your journey going to take?"

-"Oh I suppose my family and I will be flying off before the end of the week. It will take us a little less than a month to get to our nests in Africa, and we will stay there until the beginning of the dry season, that is, about four months. We'll be back to Europe in about exactly half a year. I'm sorry, but this is just the way it is…"

But Mufasa was as happy as he could be even with such a perspective. Once more, he wished the stork and her family the best luck in their travel, and after another bow, her and Moses were about to leave.

-"I hope we'll see each other again!" – Mufasa said happily.

-"I share the same wish, your highness. Be strong. Your hope is an inspiration for me, just as I'm sure it had been to your pride, as well. Until we meet again, noble felines!" - Anya flapped her wings and took off into the air.

But as soon as she did that, Scar suddenly raised his head from the rock, attracting his brother's attention.

-"Wait…" – he said silently, squeezing the words through his clenched fangs. Then, seeing that the stork was getting further with every fraction of a second, he roared- and Mufasa had not heard such a roar since the day Scar found out about Mheetu's death.

-"_WAAAIT!_" – he howled, springing to his feet and directing his head towards the sky. He called out furiously until he was able to see that Anya was making a turn in the air in order to be able to land. When she was back to the place she had just left, totally startled, Scar came up close to her and sat at the side of his extremely curious brother.

-"Listen up, bird!" – he uttered firmly. – "Among the lionesses of Pride Rock, you will find a female by the name… Sarafina. It won't be tough to find her, even for you- her eyes are… She has blue eyes. Bright, blue eyes. I want you to tell her…"

For a very long moment, the lion felt both his brother and the female stork gazing at him with anticipation. But that was not the hardest thing for him. There was a much larger obstacle, an old wound somewhere in his heart that, untreated, caused him deepest pain upon being touched.

-"Tell her Scar says _'hi'_"- he answered plainly, turning his head away as to not see Anya and Mufasa's smiles. – "Go, that will be all! And this better not be for nothing!"

With another bow, the stork was gone. And Scar was on his way to the rock again. But this time, his brother was right behind him, and as he laid on top of the flat boulder, he felt Mufasa's large body right beside him. He had his eyes closed, but still he couldn't escape hearing what his brother was saying to him.

-"I have a good feeling about this…"

-"Oh you don't say. Well _I'm_ thinking that with our luck this stork is going to get eaten by the first carnivore in Africa that lays it's eyes on her."

-"Don't be ridiculous! She's old and experienced, she'd done that trip many times."

-"Yes, but I suppose you are conscious that storks are quite dim-witted among birds, don't you?"

-"I don't care! The fact that she can fly and speak is enough for me. You eventually spoke to her too, so I figure there is also a tiny light of hope in you as well. Don't try to hide it! You may fool others by playing a cold-hearted predator all the time, but I know you way too well, brother!"

Scar did not answer, and soon he and his companion dozed off to the land of sleep.

* * *

**AN: This was a chapter of hope. Moses did his job- he found a stork that's heading in the right way… But will Anya accomplish her part of the deal? It will take at least 180 days to find out, so we will have to be as patient as Mufasa and Scar. **

**This dim light of hope keeps the former king going- he could bear his own sorrow, but the thought of how sad his family has to be due to his sudden disappearance was driving him insane. Waiting will be hard… but at least there is anything to wait for now. And Mufasa suspects that even Scar's stone-cold demeanor is just a mask to hide that he himself will await Anya's return with anticipation, even though all he might expect to get is an answering 'hi' from his ex-mate… But that's better than nothing when you're in prison, isn't it?**


	10. Are you not entertained?

**Day 30**

_Raiser's journal._

_It's a month since Red and Black's relocation- hooray for them and for me, as well! Everything seems to be in order, but this is also the proper moment for a routine health control for the brothers. I'm thinking it would be good not to use sedatives this time, only to familiarize the boys to direct contact with the people they recognize. We'll see if it works._

* * *

It was a lazy morning, and Mufasa was doing nothing but lying on his back, gazing at the reddish-brownish-yellowish leaves upon the thirteen trees inside the Lion Walk. All his life he'd been living in a land with only two seasons, but now he was admiring his first autumn and the changes it brought to nature. His brother was right by his side, basing his head over Mufasa's muscled arm, and was probably practicing his first beloved hobby- sleeping. Or so the lion had thought, probably until Scar gave him a stab on the side with his elbow. A _strong_ stab, too.

-"Isn't this the time when the humans come?" – he mumbled with his eyes still closed.

-"Oh yeah, I guess they should be here any minute."

The lion did not make a mistake. Throughout their time spent in the ZOO, the brothers managed to learn the specific hours of what was going on in the 'institution'- when the visitors came and went, at what days was their walk being cleaned, when were they fed with lamb, beef, pork, game or poultry. And also today, about an hour after sunrise, the first _bald monkeys _appeared at the other side of the transparent wall, gazing and pointing at the lions, trying to make them do something more interesting than just lying around.

-"_Uh_, I'm bored out of my mind" – Mufasa murmured sleepily after a wide yawn. – "So what do you want to do today, Scar?"

-"I don't know. 'Sup to you" – Scar did not seem very keen to physical activity, but he was awake, which was a rare opportunity. Usually, if they didn't do anything at all, the humans had a bad habit of starting to behave extremely unbearably.

-"Oh come on!" – the older feline said right before quickly rolling over and raising to his feet, what made his brother almost hit the ground with his head.

-"What the devil…?" – he groaned, supporting on his elbows, sending his until-recently pillow an angry look. Mufasa paraded in front of the whole wall of the Lion Walk, attracting the hungry glares of their constantly growing number of spectators, himself eyeing them mysteriously. Then he stood on a rock with his front paws, stretched, and addressed his brother with a tone of mischief-

-"Aren't you up for a bit of morning exercise, little brother?"

-"Meaning?" – asked his sibling reluctantly, with only one eye open as if indicating that he rather be left alone.

-"Oh you know! How about a nice fight, just like the good old days? We can't let our muscles droop in this place, you know."

Scar closed even the one eye he had opened, but also his face was wry with a delicate smile.

-"_Puh_! That's just you- so prudish and well-mannered on the outside, but really just a cub with a big red mane…"

-"Did I hear you insulting me? Is that a challenge?" – his brother grinned, adopting a combat stance and waving his tale to and thro in anticipation. – "Go on- come at me, bro'"!

-"_Heh-heh_, be prepared for the coup of the century…" – Scar mumbled to himself, rose from the ground with a loud moan, stretched his back with a loud crack and bared his fangs. The brothers started circling around, one watching the other carefully, redirecting their sight only for parts of a second in order to observe the most enjoyable expressions that appeared upon the faces of their human fans. Each of them was starting to construct a crafty plan in order to bring the other one down, using their own specific tactics, well elaborated during their time in the savanna.

First, Scar roared viciously, his face twisted with anger, and after his battle cry immediately came the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.

Mufasa answered with a roar just as loud and just as fierce, afterwards not giving his opponent much time to think, but charging at him with the swing of a massive, clawed paw. Scar dodged the hit and made a sidestep, seemingly not wanting to attack just yet, provoking his brother with taunting snarls.

The one whom the crowd knew as Red attacked again. This time, the two lions clashed with each other so powerfully that the people held their breath. Children were screaming. Women were gasping. Asians were taking pictures. All were amazed.

Scar knew perfectly that his brother was far stronger than him in direct combat, so seldom he let him approach. But when he did, he depended on his own speed and his razor-sharp claws. Mufasa swung his paws at him, attempting to carry out a blow to the head, but his opponent just made a swift crouch, his raven mane waving at the wind, and then struck the big mountain of muscles on the side. Intentionally, as was the rule of training sparring, he was trying not to hurt him too deeply. Or at least he _seamed_ to be careful, as the scratch still resolved in a wave of pain that made Mufasa furious. With another roar, he was right at him, but his brother jumped away, sending a mocking smile as an answer.

That was it.

The older fighter sprung off with astounding velocity, charging like a battering ram. Of course, Scar had nothing else to do but to flee, and so the two were soon chasing each other running all around the Lion Walk, between the trees and leaping over the many obstacles and rocks, having the humans' crazy screams as a background.

-"Do you… hear? They're shouting… for my victory!" – the lion known as Black gasped between breaths, having his redhead sibling right there at his tail.

-"I don't… think so!"

Scar might have not been very strong, but his light built enabled him to move faster than his beefy cellmate. He was also an experienced climber, and Mufasa had to put in a lot of effort to catch up with him as he was ascending one of the walls of their home that was made of almost vertical, solid stone. The younger lion jumped upon it like a goat, trying to make the older one tire as he was slipping and considering that he really needed to sharpen his claws before the next fight.

But luck was also something one needed in order to win a duel, and Scar's luck unfortunately ran out. As he was clutching to the rocky wall, he turned his head for a while to see just how far from him was Mufasa. Unfortunately, his grin quickly turned into a frown of shock as he felt one of his paws slipping. In desperation, he tried to find support, but that only ended up with him stumbling straight to the ground. When the pain of the fall eased a bit, he opened his eyes only to see his brother crushing and immobilizing him with the whole weight of his body.

-"So, what are we gonna do now, _hmm_?" – Mufasa hummed with a sense of victory that made Scar growl with rage. – "I remember that when we were cubs, the one of us who lost in a fight had to do whatever the winner told him…"

-"Let me _GO_!" – snapped his helpless opponent, but that was not what the one who was holding him in his paws was going to do.

-"I'll tell you what- I won't ask for much. You'll be free if you say one thing, brother. _Long live the king_. Go ahead, it's just one sentence! _Say_ _it!_"

The proud grin on Mufasa's face was driving Scar insane. He knew that this fight was no longer a game… A mist of old, unpleasant memories of humiliation covered him like a shroud…

-"_Never_!" – he uttered.

-"Oh, then I suppose I'll just stay like this till the humans shoot me and take me off of you, _heh-heh_…"

That wasn't funny for the black-maned lion. Not funny at all. He attempted to free at least one of his limbs, but his brother had enough time to carefully put them out of use.

All except for Scar's neck.

Not being able to stand his opponent's irritable chuckle, the seemingly motionless smaller lion brought his head towards the latter's face… and forcefully pulled out one of his whiskers with his teeth.

-"_OOOW!_" – Mufasa shrieked with pain, losing his attention for a brief moment. And that brief moment was enough for Scar to whack him straight in the nose with his head. When the redhead fighter covered his aching muzzle with a paw, his opponent felt that also his front limb was now free. After a loud smack, Mufasa was thrown to the side.

He sat up in confusion, shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness, while his brother stood up proudly having released himself from an almost hopeless situation. Considering this his victory, 'Black' ascended to the summit of the largest rock in the walk, bathing pleasurably in the humans' applause. He gave them a victorious roar, to what they answered with a deafening scream. He saw that one human female was leaning over the barrier of the observation point, holding something rather interesting in her hand, looking like she wanted to reward the victor. With a chuckle, Scar ran up to the transparent wall and stood on his hind paws, tapping at the glass.

-"Go on, drop it!" – he moaned hungrily.

The woman let go of the still struggling, live chicken for which she'd paid with her own money, shrieking as it fell straight into the lion's sharp fangs and got torn to pieces within mere seconds.

-"_Mmm_, I _love_ it when they give us live food!" – Scar laughed mockingly, turning his bloody snout towards his defeated brother. Mufasa was sitting at the stream, observing his reflection with distaste.

-"These scratches and that torn out whisker make me look… _unsymmetrical_!" – he whined.

-"Oh I'm sorry, but after all, _you_ were the one who wanted to fight in the first place! We're not cubs anymore- you should have been prepared for a bruise or two. And besides- _asymmetry_ is still the smallest one of your defects!" – Scar mocked his brother with visible joy and with a mouthful of chicken.

Mufasa snorted. He thought that this play fight would help him get his mind off the things which had been causing him pain since the day of their abduction, but it didn't. Again, he just collapsed to the ground, intending to go back to admiring the beauty of the autumn leaves, but when he directed his sight towards the trees from the angle he was now, he noticed something rather interesting.

-"Hey, Scar! What do you think that is?"

-"Hmm?" – his brother redirected his attention from the bird he was eating and looked in the direction where Mufasa was pointing. Then he spat out a few small feathers. – "Well I'll be… now isn't _that_ a treat?"

The brothers both sat under two trees, raising their heads towards the beautiful, mouth-watering sight that was placed above them. About three times higher than a lion's length, below the branches of the thick, smooth pines, there were hung two magnificent, large chunks of meat. Probably juicy beef.

-"I think I smell another challenge…" – Mufasa whispered as a grin reappeared on his face.

-"If you really insist in wanting to lose again…"

-"Well, you were the one who slipped the last time!"

-"That was an _accident_. I can still climb ten times better than you!"

-"Oh yeah? You're on!"

After taking a while to sharpen their claws over the tree bark, the brothers sat down and looked at each other, convinced of their own superiority.

-"Okay- three, two, one… _go_!" – Mufasa shouted and leapt at the thick trunk. His brother did just the same with a ferocious growl. As the brothers were plunging their claws higher and higher into the wood, the crowd cheered the nicknames of their favorites.

-"_Go, Red!_" – howled some.

-"_You can do it, Black!_" – screamed the others.

All in all, the brothers managed to reach the meat almost at the same time, and soon a thump was heard as the prey simultaneously fell to the ground. But there was still another matter.

-"_Huff…_ Okay, now how're we gonna get down from here?" – Mufasa gasped, visibly shocked to see just how high he was.

-"_Puff…_ What do you mean _how_? Slide, you _fool_! Slide!"

With a gasp of fright, the two lions slid down from the height of the trunk with the speed of lightning, hitting the tough soil with their butts. Feeling thoroughly sore, they just agreed to call it a tie this time, in order not to spoil the meal that was a worthy reward for their effort, along with the cheerful cries of the overenthusiastic humans.

* * *

**AN: Boys will be boys… In such emotional moments, people show who they really are. The fact is that not Scar alone, but both of the brothers have an inner urge to dominate over the other. Mufasa- because he was always taught that he is someone more, and Scar- because he always felt like he was treated as someone lesser. This is what turns an innocent game into a serious, psychological battle… Will this battle get even more serious? I am open for your hints and speculations XD**

**I got the idea about 'extreme lion feeding' while watching various videos on the Tube that show such scenes from various ZOOs in the world. Go check them out if you're bored sometime. The most thrilling ones are from China- I saw a pride of about a dozen lions being given a live sheep… Nature, you scary XD**


	11. Managerial Approaches

**Day 35**

_Raiser's journal._

_Just my luck! The lion brothers' popularity has become so widespread, that some air-headed tree-huggers started whining about the conditions in the ZOO! The Director showed me some of the letters he got. He was pissed, and he did have a pretty good reason- all the accusations that they included there were totally made up! Just to be sure, I called a friend who is an office worker over at the Vet Inspection department. He reviewed the list of appointments for the next month and told me that we might as well get ready for a visit from an inspecting commission! Bastards, now I'm going to have to make sure that everything is according to the rules, even though the Director doesn't even want to hear about any changes in the ZOO's agenda. Especially if it concerns the boys._

* * *

Mufasa was lying peacefully in his den at Pride Rock, right beside his beautiful mate, Sarabi. He decided to take the day off, and so the only thing that encouraged him to get up was Simba- his little son, who was already standing at the top of the stony ledge, admiring the sun as it rose above their beautiful kingdom.

-"_Dad! C'mon, you gotta see this!_" – called the cub merrily.

-"_All right, I'm coming… don't be so impatient!_" – he stood up, stretched, yawned, gave his queen a happy look and a lick on the cheek, and then rushed out of the den. As the first sunbeams touched his still weary eyes, he closed them for a moment. At that moment he heard something rather disturbing- a loud thud, just like something fell to the ground. With concern that his son might be in trouble, he opened his eyes again. But Simba was not who he saw. Oh no.

Right before him, Mufasa saw the wide rump of an unusually loud _bald monkey_.

A ZOO employee.

Totally startled to be woken up like that, the lion glared at what the man was doing. It seemed that he was trying to pull another large chunk of meat up to the tree with a rope, but unfortunately he did not have enough strength and dropped the large haunch. The more unfortunately, that by doing so he also literarily aroused a lion.

All of the former king of the Pridelands' irritation, all of his anger that's been growing every day since the humans separated him form his loved ones, was incarnated in that one poor, fat bastard in green dungarees, who had a 20% payment bonus for cleaning cages at night.

-"_RRRAH!_"

The worker almost sprung out of his uniform when he heard a roar behind his back. When he turned around and saw Mufasa's eyes blazing in the dark and his needle-sharp fangs, his face became white, his hands started to shake and he wasn't able to make a single step. There was only a silent moan of terror coming from his gaping mouth.

-"_Grrr_! You took me away from my family! I consider that a crime punishable by death!"

The enraged feline growled viciously to the human's even greater dismay, but all the commotion also woke up the second lion in the walk. Scar rolled from his back to his belly and blinking, gazed at the whole situation with stupor.

-"Mufasa, what's all this fuss about? Can't you see I'm trying to rest?"

But his brother was far too preoccupied to even hear his petty complaints. Still growling, he started to pace slowly towards the human before him, making the helpless creature squirm and cringe.

-"Mufasa, did you hear what I just said? Are you out of your mind? Mufasa? _Mufasa_?"

The human was lucky that he finally decided to break away from his paralysis and make a run for it. The fierce, strong lion was right behind him, and as soon as the man went through the gate and attempted to slam the door, Mufasa had already blocked it with his paw. Snarling and slashing the air, he struggled with the far weaker two-legged primate and was very close to overpowering him, until he felt two things. The first one was being hit on the muzzle with some sort of club that not only caused a normal type of smashing pain, but also made every one of his muscles twitch with a shocking spasm. The second thing was being bitten in the tail and getting forcefully pulled backwards.

When he was able to shake himself out of the following confusion, he was lying on the ground, sore all over, with his brother standing above him with an expression of sheer distaste.

-"What was _that_?" – he uttered the question as if he was disappointed for some reason.

-"_What_? What do you mean? There was a _human_ here, one of our kidnappers! I wanted to… teach that rotter a lesson!" – Mufasa was still panting furiously, slowly realizing that his companion was indeed the one who pulled him away from accomplishing his goal.

-"_Ts-ts-ts_, not good, brother. Not good… Seems the time we've spent here has taught you _nothing_."

The older lion stood up and redirected his mind towards the one who has always been questioning his decisions. This time Scar picked a wrong moment and Mufasa started to feel that he was being insulted- one of the few things he truly hated.

-"Since when do you care about the _bald monkeys_ as you yourself call them, _huh_ Scar?"

His brother was eyeing him with a sense of coldness, not impressed in the least by his mouth-frothing behavior.

-"_Puh_! The fact that_ I_ care for them is not a surprise. The surprise is that _you_, the lawful, kind-hearted ruler and protector of all living things, _don't_."

-"What's your point? You want to start one of your old arguments again?"

-"Why call it an argument? Let's keep our emotions turned down- we are in the middle of the night, after all. I just want to discuss some of your managerial approaches. I remember you seldom had time to hear me out when you were still so occupied with your royal duties…"

-"You hardly ever had anything more to say than just your ridiculous, malicious remarks!"

-"Well have you ever _listened_ to those remarks?"

For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence.

-"Okay, be it your way. Fire away, brother- I'm all ears" – the lion decided to hold his anger and sit down, still not looking very pleased. Scar on the other hand strolled to and thro slowly, baring a delicate yet explicit smirk.

-"First of all, I'd like to tell you that you are needlessly concerned if you manage to imitate our father's style of ruling strictly enough. In fact, you had been a direct copy of his style of ruling! Mostly in committing the same mistakes."

-"Scar, I'm warning you! Don't you dare open your mouth to insult our father! Either you speak of the dead with respect, or don't mention them at all!"

The dark lion chuckled.

-"_Heh-heh_, how typical… Enough about the late _king Ahadi_, then. _Your_ own self-righteousness had been keeping you from understanding the flaws of your decisions since the very day you ascended the throne at Pride Rock, and we could see that perfectly even tonight."

Mufasa couldn't help not to interrupt him.

-"_Uh_! What are you maundering about? Haven't you been breathing with the lust for revenge on the humans since you woke up locked in a cage, just like I did?"

-"Not exactly. I only _had been_ breathing with the lust for revenge. But I, contrary to you, possess the ability of submitting my anger to the guidance of _reason_. I see you're still missing the point. Well let me enlighten you- are you hurt? Are you ill? Are you hungry? Are you in danger? Are you in any way miserable? _No_. No, because the humans feed us, care for us and tend to our every need."

-"You can't be serious! We're _prisoners_, Scar! They have taken us away from our homeland, from our family! The applause of those stupid crowds has gotten on your brain!"

-"_Hm-hm_, fine. If you don't accept this argument, let's try another. Think that the humans had enough power to abduct two grown male lions, and also _every single animal_ in this institution. If you kill one of them, I doubt that they will have anymore use for you. They will _kill you_, Mufasa" – seeing his brother's pondering, Scar surrounded him with an arm and grinned. – "I'm only caring for the well-being of my only brother!"

-"Oh stop it, I know when you are trying to mock me!" – Mufasa shook the other lion's paw from his shoulder with irritation. – "Anything else you wanted to say?"

-"Why, but this is just the beginning! So you see, you just have to admit that you belong to the group of rather _edgy_ folk. Foolishly edgy, as I remember you using that mostly to execute the old and senseless laws of the Pridelands, only for the detriment of your former subjects."

-"Now that is a _lie_! Name _one_ creature, a single one who suffered under my reign!"

Scar looked Mufasa straight in the eyes. He uttered the name with a voice as cold as ice.

-"_Simba._"

-"Nonsense!" – the former king shouted back as if the remark was to him an insult comparable with getting punched in the face.

-"Oh _really_?" – his sibling inquired. – "How often did you have time to spend with your son? Were you not usually so preoccupied with your so-called _royal duties_, that the lionesses, or the hornbill, or even his _uncle_ had to take care of him? Must I remind you how you lost track of him once, what almost resulted in Simba getting torn to pieces by the hyenas who considered him a trespasser when he slipped out from under your 'ever-watchful' stare and to the Elephant Graveyard? _Hmf_, that closely resembles the way father always had time for just _one_ of his sons! Having to patrol the whole kingdom every day just cause you _think_ you should is nothing more but utter foolishness!"

-"I, just like father before me, had to look after the matters in the land! Without that it would turn to chaos and would have been hell for everyone!"

-"Now that is clearly your pride that's speaking! What I am thinking is that you are significantly overestimating the role you've played before we ended up behind bars! You were _not_ the only pillar of the Pridelands, Mufasa! But you _were_ an important pillar in your family!"

-"_Puh_! Words coming from the mouth of a divorcee who didn't even care of his daughter…"

-"Excuse me, but I thought we were talking about _you_! But if you are so desperate to leave the subject of fatherhood, fine- I've got a lot more of them. How about the hunting law? It was really a nuisance to all the carnivores, and even knowing that you persisted to uphold it!"

-"The law was imposed in order to protect the herds from being over-hunted! I had agreed with the cheetahs, the leopards and the jackals on that subject!"

-"Well, do you think that they were very happy about not being permitted to get their food wherever and whenever they wanted?"

-"What? Well, I…"

-"_No_, they were not! All it took to find that out was to _talk_ to them!"

-"_Puh_, I should have known that you'd been keeping contact with outlaws! I remember you breaking the hunting law yourself on many occasions, even when father was still alive…"

-"_Outlaws_? What are you talking about, they were your beloved _subjects_! Not just the antelopes and zebras who you let reproduce incessantly! Our cousins, the big meat-eating felines, and even the hyenas…"

Mufasa growled, interrupting him.

-"Don't you even mention those filthy beasts!"

-"Why _not_? Do you think it was just to ban a whole species from your land, o great and noble _king_?"

-"You know damn well that they suffered the punishment for their own disgusting crime!"

-"Oh yes, alas the one who provoked them with his countless restrictions also suffered the consequences!"

-"And what would you have done? Would you just leave them alone for killing _your own father_? I doubt that! You are not as kind as you portray yourself!"

-"Do you know what I would have done?" – Scar gazed at him, his placidity contrasting with his brother's rage. – "I would have executed the murderers. And pardoned the rest."

-"That was out of the question!"

-"Why?"

-"Father had _hated_ the hyenas! They were always greedy and ignorant of basic laws, too stupid to understand the necessity of keeping balance in the land!"

-"Well has their presence ever been distorting that balance?"

-"Yes it has, Scar! It has when they _killed_ him, when they assassinated their _king_!"

Scar just shook his head again. He was visibly disappointed- just like a teacher who failed to teach something to a mutinous student.

-"_Ts-ts-ts_… I see that injustice of it's rulers will always be a burden for the inhabitants of the Pridelands… Maybe it is better that you have been abducted?"

Mufasa was ready to slash Scar on the face for saying that, but when he was about to lift his paw, the gate to the Lion Walk opened with a loud slam. From behind it came two tall human males, each wielding a strange, thin stick. _Tranquilizing guns_.

-"I suppose your love for the humans is about to be tested…" – Mufasa whispered maliciously.

-"And yours as well… I _hate_ these hornet stings…"

A second later, the brothers' argument ended as they yet again fell asleep against their will.

* * *

**AN: I see some of you noticed my fondness for putting pop-culture references and quotes in my stories. Feel free to search for them- there will be many more. I especially like those that you find even though I didn't know I put them there! XD**

**As you have probably noticed, in this story I am trying to give a little more insight to what exactly was the cause for Mufasa and Scar's mutual conflict. And I think it is… much of a father issue. King Ahadi- as little as we know about him, we can imagine him being very lawful, just like his later successor. And so he had stuck to the old royal traditions of choosing the older brother as heir, arranging marriages, hunting limits etc. Scar, being the one not chosen to be king (even though it is possible for two lion brothers to lead a pride together) felt treated unjustly. So he started questioning the old laws and braking them. In my story, Ahadi's death is a result of hyena mutiny against the restrictive hunting law, for which Mufasa kicks them out of the Pridelands (remember what Zazu says in the first film about the hyenas?). So Mufasa doesn't know about Scar's union with them (and did the naughty prince sent them to kill his own father, you ask? Pff, beats me…) but is furious for the fact that his brother does not support their exile. **

**So that is one thing, but the story will reveal other branches of the story that used to take place on the savanna.**


	12. Everything is fine

**Day 37**

_Raiser's journal._

_Those idiots! I can't believe their incompetence! I gave all the employees specific instructions how to handle the lions, but still they weren't able not to blow something right before the inspection! One of the night workers that was assigned to clean and place the food in the Lion Walk last night got attacked by Red and barely made it without being injured. I told them all to be absolutely sure that the boys were asleep before even opening the gate. The guy tried to talk himself out of being responsible for the trouble by swearing that the lions slept when he went in, but even if that's true, he still had to wake them up somehow as they are really strong sleepers. Anyway, Red charged at that clumsy jerk and almost got him at the gate, but of course the guy couldn't have saved himself without smacking the lion on the muzzle with a cattle prod! When the Director heard this, he was furious and said that if the animals were hurt in any way, he would pay for it. Later the guy panicked and called for two guards to help him, while those boneheads, ignorant to what they should do, put both of the brothers to sleep. Well, at least I had the opportunity to examine them… Red only has a bruise above his nose and did not seem to be in any way harmed by the electrical shock. Black was all fine. Fortunately for the worker, who got out of this situation only with his paycheck bonus cut. _

_But that's not all! Of course as soon as I finished testing the lions, two puffed up wise-guys from the Vet Inspection knocked at the door of the ZOO, demanding me to show them a whole file of Red and Black's health charts, vaccine certificates, blood and urine tests, parasite examination results, feeding tables and a full file of how they've been behaving since the first day they got here. As I was obediently showing them everything I had except for this journal, the Director was just standing there not saying a thing. I knew that if those nerds found something to be wrong, he wouldn't support me for a second. Later, they wanted to see the Lion Walk and glared at every inch of ground and stone there, and finally asked me where the lions were. When I brought them to the lab and showed them the cage, at first they were concerned about why have the animals been put to sleep, but then considered that it was indeed better. They ordered the workers to take the boys out of the cage and put them on the examination table. They checked everything- their fur, their teeth, the state of their claws, their eyes, their reflexes, even looked under their freaking tails! And I have already showed them the precise results of my tests! _

_In the end, they said they wanted to see the Director and me over at his office. I was relieved when they told me that most of everything was okay, but they also directly pointed out that the lions should never again be fed with live prey or engaged in exercises that could result in them getting hurt. They hinted that it might attract those loony animal rights fanatics. After saying that, they left._

_The Director also seemed calm after their visit, but he still wondered if the inspectors told us everything they knew. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out._

* * *

-"Scar… _Scar_! Are ya sleeping?" – Mufasa called to his sibling who was, like him, lying on the ground motionlessly like a bag of dirt. His head hurt and he felt sick to the stomach after being anesthetized.

-"_Mrrr_! Stop _screaming_!" – moaned the younger lion with a tone of pain in his voice.

-"How're you feeling?" – asked the first one again, trying to cope with his pulsating headache.

-"Better…"

-"That's good."

-"… better move away, I'm gonna throw up!"

Mufasa would have moved if he only could, but Scar fortunately managed to prevent the content of his stomach from escaping it. After a minute or so, the black-haired feline asked another question.

-"Have we been… _tested_ again?"

-"Yeah… I suppose we have…" – Mufasa sighed with distaste.

-"Bloody hell… even my mane hurts…"

-"So, do you still consider the humans our friends, Scar?"

-"I never considered them our _friends_! They're a real pain in the rump, true, but still I wouldn't want to kill them for no reason at all. It's kind of like I feel towards _you_…"

It was another one of Scar's mocking jokes. Only this time, Mufasa laughed at it.

-"_Hahaha_… I suppose dad was right indeed. _Sisi ni moja_! This stays true no matter what. We might fight with each other, but there is a connection between us that nothing can sever…"

His brother took a very long moment to meditate on the other one's words. _Sisi ni moja… We are one_… It was another of the deceased king Ahadi's saying, only this one dated back to the beginning of the lion dynasty at Pride Rock. If the kings of the Pridelands ever painted themselves a coat of arms, it would have been two lions, a male and a female, the second a perfect negative copy of the first only without the mane, and a scroll at the bottom that had this ancient motto written upon it- _Sisi ni moja_. It was a truth as important as the one about the Circle of Life and the Great Kings of the past- every Lion King taught it to his pride. It gave them their identity. Their unity. Their strength.

But Scar knew that not always was this well-sounding phrase true. Especially when it came to him and his brother. Scar thought about the plans he'd been constructing shortly before their abduction… About what he'd been preparing for along with the hyenas…

-"Not necessarily" – he murmured more to himself than to his brother, but still Mufasa heard his words clearly.

-"What? Oh c'mere you eternal whiner…" – with a laugh, seemingly regaining some of his well-being, the older lion rolled towards his brother and attempted to jerk his mane. But Scar sat up and made a gesture indicating him to stop at once, his face twisted with a desperate expression that showed he was indeed on the edge of loosing his lunch.

* * *

**AN: This chapter is short because the next one is going to be long XD. I am sincerely thankful for the growing number of favs and followers of this story!  
**

**Mufasa firmly believes in the things he'd been taught- also in the kind of mystical bond between lions from the same pride (just what Simba is trying to explain to Kiara in the second movie). He believes that such a bond still exists between him and his brother. But is that true? Before their abduction, Scar was very close to destroy that bond for good, but in my story he never had the chance to do that. So can there still be unity between the brothers or is their family's motto just a hollow phrase? That's still to come.**

**Oh, and if anyone wants to see the Pridelands' coat of arms- I just changed my avatar. It's two lions being each other's negative, a male and a female, holding up a medallion with the image of Pride Rock on it. The only difference is that the motto on it is written in Latin instead of Swahili, and reads- _Unum Sumus_.**


	13. A Walk in the Middle of the Night

**Day 51**

_Raiser's journal._

_For two weeks there has been relative peace. No crazy wildlife-saving fanatics have even shown their faces at the ZOO. The weather report said that we can expect this year's first snow to fall tonight, but I guess the boys are well prepared for that._

* * *

_Another_ cold night at the ZOO. For the past days, Mufasa and Scar had to adopt sleeping beside one another in the wooden shack as a regular practice in order to warm themselves enough to be able to fall asleep. But tonight was definitely the coldest night they have ever experienced, and so sleeping wasn't even a possibility. The younger one of the brothers, as usually bestead upon his larger sibling as if on a soft couch, passively observed the steam that emerged from inside his lungs with every exhale, while the older one was grinding his teeth, moaning restlessly every few minutes.

-"_Mmawww_! I'm not _used_ to living in such an environment!" – he whined finally. Scar would not have been himself if he missed the opportunity to tease him.

-"Oh tough luck, princy! You better _get_ used to the cold- this is what they call 'winter' around here and it's going to last for a few good months."

-"But how're we supposed to survive it?"

-"Simple. Eat more. It'll make your fur grow."

-"Huh?" – Mufasa flinched as his brother suddenly put his paw right in front of his face. When he took a closer look at it though, he noticed that, indeed, Scar's hair seemed to be a little more… thicker. – "How did you know that?" – he asked with surprise.

-"_Hm-hm_… Let's just call it a prompt from the instinct of survival. We lions are supreme beings- destined to rule in all the possible conditions."

Once again, Mufasa felt that his brother had planned to show off with his 'supreme brain work' in order to humiliate him. So, with a scornful snort, he suddenly got up to his feet, once again throwing Scar off of him and straight to the ground. The younger lion growled, but his cellmate was already occupied with his thoughts and gazing at the stars. And then he became concerned.

-"Hey! What is this?"

Mufasa went out from under the roof of the shack and took a look at the ground. It was covered with a thin blanket made of a white substance that felt very cold as he was spreading it with his paw.

-"_Uhhh…_" – Scar sighed, covering his face. – "That's _snow_, you dunderhead! Remember? There was quite a lot of it at the top of Kilimanjaro."

-"I've never _been_ to the top of Kilimanjaro!" – the offended feline snapped dryly.

But their argument did not get a chance to develop. In a flash, they were both up to their feet and in full alert as they heard a loud beating at the gate of their Lion Walk.

-"_Ah_! What now, are they going to dissect us again?" – Scar muttered with highest disgust.

-"Wait a minute! I have a feeling this is something much different!" – answered his sibling.

And so it was. Usually, the humans opened the gate with a key, while this time someone was clearly trying to break it down with forceful, regular kicks and strikes that were aimed at the lock. The brothers felt growing anticipation as they stood in the snow, hearing the door slowly giving up to the strength of whoever wanted to destroy it. That was the question the lions were asking themselves- who would want to break into their walk? A friend? A foe? The uncertainty made a shiver of fear go down their spines.

Finally, after another crushing blow, the gate was torn open with a loud slam. The two lions growled, warning the one who was on the other side that if he intended to be dangerous, they were going to be dangerous as well. But as they stood in their combat stance, all they heard was a few silent, unrecognizable sounds of humans that quickly silenced, leaving them alone in the midst of a silent night.

-"What's going on here?" – Scar wondered. Mufasa looked at him with just as much astonishment.

They decided to approach the gaping door carefully, looking out for any sound or sign of movement… But there wasn't any! It seemed as if someone just opened the gate and left. As if someone… let them go.

Mufasa slowly put his head through the passage. It was the first time ever when he placed his eyes on the other side of the high wall made of thick, old logs that was sheltering him and his brother from the outside world. Now he noticed that just beside the Lion Walk there was a nice compacted footpath that went on between the trees, leading towards the other sections of the ZOO.

-"There's no-one here!" – he whispered to his younger sibling who was slinking just behind his back.

-"What do you mean no-one? And where's the bald ape that battered down the gate?"

-"Come and see for yourself!"

And indeed, a moment later the brothers stood safely in the middle of the road, slowly starting to realize a very comforting fact- that they were _free_.

-"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" – Mufasa grinned.

-"I don't think so. But still, the evening is quite chilly- wouldn't it be lovely to take a little stroll down the alleys of our 'institution'?" – the younger feline's voice was also filled with pleasure.

-"So… where do you want to go first?"

-"_Hm-hm_… why brother dear, I suppose our priority should be the appointment we had made quite some time ago."

They shared a communicative look of malicious joy.

-"Do you mean…?"

-"_Yes. _The zebra paddock!"

Mufasa and Scar's laugh lifted up towards the night as they started walking down the snowy path, taking their time since the hour was still young.

-"Hey, I'm so happy I feel like singing something. Don't you? What do ya think?" – the older brother said with an inherent smile. Both of them loved to sing, but seldom did they have an opportunity or the right mood to actually create a duet. Although tonight was a special occasion.

-"_Ha_! Why not." – Scar laughed, his mood probably better than ever. – "What do you want to sing? Throw me something adequate."

The expression of wonderment covered Mufasa's face for a while. Then he bared his teeth and started to hum a melody.

-"_Hm_, not a bad choice, I must say. You start, I'll back you up."

And so they went on, with the words of the song as the companion of their most pleasant mid-night walk.

"_In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep,_

_From the mountains of faith, to the river so deep._

_I must be looking for something, something sacred I lost,_

_But the river is wide, and it's too hard to cross…"_

* * *

The only zebra that wasn't asleep, a stallion sentry, did not suspect the lions' visit in the least. Since his herd was perfectly safe from predators in the ZOO, he considered his job to be more a type of a hobby than real protection. So when he suddenly saw two big, ferociously- looking figures jumping over the fence of the paddock, figures with large manes, sharp fangs and blazing eyes, he almost got a heart attack.

-"Good evening, fellow inmate!" – laughed the bigger one, licking his lips. – "Cold night, isn't it?"

The zebra just gasped with horror.

-"You should be careful about what you say…" – uttered the smaller but still frightening beast with significantly less humor. – "It's not very polite to tell a lion to '_go mate himself_'. And very _dangerous_, too…"

The stallion was so shocked he didn't even manage to neigh in order to alert his herd when the brothers pounced at him and skillfully put him out of his misery. The other zebras woke up hearing the unrest, and recognizing what was going on, ran away in panic jumping over the fence. As Mufasa and Scar were enjoying a very tasty nocturnal meal, they wondered when was the last time they hunted together… and also why didn't the equines ever think of escaping their enclosure earlier.

* * *

"_Even though I know the river is wide I walk down every evening and stand on the shore.  
I try to cross to the opposite side so I can finally find what I've been looking for_

_In the middle of the night…"_

* * *

After filling up their stomachs, the brothers continued their walk down the paths of the ZOO, observing the multitude of different animals that were held inside the cages. Some of them were already awake, and as they saw a pair of lions strolling carelessly on the other side of the bars, sending smiles and greetings all around, some quivered with fear, others- bowed with reverence and admiration. The condors spread their enormous wings, the monkeys howled and shook the doors of their cage, even the family of bears paid tribute to the rulers from distant Africa.

-"Look, Scar! It's like we're the kings of this place!" – said the older lion with pride.

His brother liked what Mufasa said to him. _They _were kings. Both. Just like it should be. Like it always should have been…

-"Yes, Mufasa. Yes we are" – he purred happily.

The brothers halted in front of a cage of significant size. Not like the zebra sentry, the one who lived there saw them at once, informing his gang with a loud, enthusiastic howl. The cage was the home of a large pack of wolves- the astonished animals, despite being woken up so suddenly, sat in front of the bars, eyeing the pair of lions with true enchantment. One of the bigger males came up front and bowed his head profoundly.

-"The raven has told me about you…" – he uttered with an amazed, stertorous tone of his voice. – "… but I would never suspect that we would actually have a chance to meet! I am Magnus, the leader of this pack. How did you… get out of your cage?"

As was his habit, Mufasa was the one to answer first.

-"Welcome, Magnus. My name is Mufasa and this is my younger brother, Scar. You see, it's hard to say what happened that we were able to exit our walk. Someone just… tore down the gate for us."

-"_What_? How is that possible?" – wondered the wolf as his brethren started whispering to themselves behind his back. And then he looked like he thought of something. – "Wait, in that case… Since you're _over there_, could you… open our cage as well?"

The brothers looked at themselves.

-"_Ha_! Go on, Mufasa!" – Scar laughed craftily. – "Show us the power of your muscles!_ Cry- 'havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war_!"

But when the big feline looked towards the gate of the wolf cage, he shook his head.

-"I'm sorry, guys. These bars are too much even for me."

-"We understand" – said Magnus. – "Not everyone is as lucky as you are. Enjoy your time of freedom before the humans catch you, because since we're in their territory, they _will_, eventually. It's only a matter of your stealth skills… It was a real honor to see you! Don't restrain to feast tonight."

-"Oh, we have not already!" – Scar bared his fangs in a wide mischievous grin.

The leader of the pack sniffed the air.

-"_Ah_! Indeed, I can smell fresh blood! What was it, zebra?"

-"_Exactly_" – answered the dark lion.

-"A fine choice! We only get fed with poultry… Well, you know what they say- the dog will have his day. Although it does seem that this night belongs to _cats_!"

With another smile, the animals said their goodbyes and Mufasa and Scar were back on their way through the ZOO. As they left, they heard a cheerful howl of the whole pack of fellow carnivores.

* * *

"_In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep,  
Through the valley of fear, to a river so deep.  
I've been searching for something taken out of my soul.  
Something I'd never lose, something somebody stole…"_

* * *

Mufasa decided that they both simply had to pay a little visit to the family of lynxes. Moses had been telling them numerous times about just how much were the cubs interested in everything that he could tell them about the lions. Even Scar, though reluctantly, agreed, and soon they stood in front of a cage filled with long branches that was a perfect artificial environment for big felines.

-"Hello?" – Mufasa called out, shaking at the wiry fence.

-"What the hell..?" – a vicious, feminine voice came from inside a wooden shack inside the cage. – "Where ya going? Stay right here, I'll check who it is!"

After these words, the two startled lions saw a fairly pretty, yet more than two times smaller feline with beautiful, spotted grey fur and long brushes of hair on the tips of her pointy ears. It was Amanda, the ZOO's Eurasian lynx.

-"Oh my…!" – she gasped when she exited her little house. – "Is… is that really _you_? I cannot believe just how _big_ you are! How did you get out of your cage?"

-"It's… a long story" – Mufasa answered, smiling at the female sympathetically.

-"I… just wait till I show you to my cubs! They've been _dying_ to even hear about you, not even mentioning seeing you or talking to you! _Shem! Ham! Japheth! _You can come out now. _Leo! _Move your lazy lower back, we've got important guests tonight!"

Mufasa's expression changed to a one of deep affection as he saw three adorable, little cubs as they were pacing timidly from inside their hideout. They were about the age of Simba when his father saw him for the last time, only a little smaller…

-"Who is it, mommy?" – they mewed, rubbing their weary little eyes. – "It's not some bad human, is it?"

-"No, my darlings, it's not! Come closer, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!"

When the cubs finally saw who exactly was standing at the other side of the fence of their cage, they gave away a mutual gasp of shock and amazement.

-"_WOOOW_!" – they screamed, almost tripping as they ran up to the fence and standing at their hind legs, admired the lions with disbelief.

-"Is it… is it really _you_? The lions? The famous kings of all the beasts? Wow, you're sooo big! Did you really come here all the way from Africa? Are you gonna free us all too?"

Those and other such questions fell like the snow upon Mufasa and Scar. The older one of the brothers was visibly enjoying talking to them. The younger was a bit more aside, yet still he agreed to let the three cubs touch his black mane after a moment of consideration. Later, they noticed that another lynx was also the inhabitant of the neighboring cage, when he lazily swayed out of his wooden hut and stretched, groaning loudly.

-"Now that you've met my sons" – Amanda addressed them, piercing the male with an angry gaze - "Let me introduce you to this old carpet who _finally_ decided to move his bones. This is Leonidas, my _mate_."

-"_Humm_, pleased to meet… _oh da-amn_!" – the lynx shrieked after his tired eyes permitted him to see the two giant felines among the darkness.

-"_Uh_! Leo, would ya stop making a fool out of yourself? And what have I told you about swearing in front of our children?" – the female scorned her still startled partner.

-"S-sorry, honey…" – he muttered, still glaring at the lions with a kind of fearful respect.

-"Oh don't be so hard on the poor guy…" – surprisingly to Mufasa, Scar spoke with something that sounded like _compassion_ – "After all, you can't blame him for wanting to get a few hours of sleep. We _did_ barge in on you in the middle of the night. Greetings, fellow feline! We are Scar and Mufasa, the main specimens of this institution's lion exhibition. You don't really have to stand to attention in front of us…"

And thus a pleasant conversation started. The related animals soon found out that it was easy for them to find a common language- Mufasa was entertaining Amanda and her cubs with his joyfulness, while Scar found a fellow soul to discuss the hardships of life behind bars. The brothers related to the lynx family how they got abducted and how they were let out of their cage, and the smaller felines also told them a few things about their life. Amanda had been born in another ZOO and brought to become Leonidas' mate, while he himself came to the world in the dense woods so far away that he didn't even remember where it was exactly. As the hours passed, the lynx inquired the lions to tell them as much about their life as possible, to entertain the cubs and to use the night as best as possible before they would have to leave.

-"So, do you have families of your own back in Africa, Mufasa and Scar?" – asked the female, holding her kittens tightly in her paws.

-"Oh yeah!" – Mufasa was happy to bring back his pleasant memories. – "My mate's name is Sarabi, she's a magnificent hunter and mother… We have a beautiful son who's name is Simba- he will be king once, just like I was when I still lived in the Pridelands!" – he smiled proudly.

-"And what about you, Scar?" – Leonidas addressed the younger brother. Little did he know that by doing so he hit a very delicate spot. But the lion was not angry- he just gave him a sad glare of his emerald eyes and sighed, redirecting his sight towards Amanda's cubs.

-"No. I do not have a mate, nor cubs of my own" – he murmured.

_I have only had a mate and cubs…_- he finished the sentence soundlessly in his thoughts. Mufasa wanted to react at first and explain that after Mheetu had died Scar and Sarafina split, leaving their daughter under the protection of her mother, but later he decided that it would be of no use.

-"Well don't sweat it, man! The humans might still bring a mate for you and put her in the ZOO. I know I got one- that fine pussy-cat over there!" – the male lynx was trying to be romantic, but Amanda just snorted and rolled her eyes on him.

And then, suddenly, a strange sound came from the distance. The animals looked around with unrest. It were voices. Human voices.

-"Well, I suppose that's our signal to beat it!" – Mufasa said rising.

-"No! Don't go!" – whined the cubs. Their mother smiled at her two guests.

-"Be safe, Mufasa and Scar! I hope your plan with the stork works out well!"

-"Yeah! And don't get yourselves caught to early!" – her mate encouraged. – "The whole institution might be surrounded by a wall that's impossible to jump over, but still the whole area is big enough for hiding among the trees for whole days! Good luck! Give those humans a night they will never forget!"

With a last goodnight, the brothers rushed away into the darkness, already seeing lights carried by the guards from the ZOO.

* * *

"_I don't know why I go walking at night, but now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore.  
I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life until I find what it is I've been looking for…"_

* * *

It seemed that only recently did the humans notice the lions' disappearance, and now they organized a regular hunt. But the animals had one advantage over the well-armed, highly intelligent, two-legged omnivores- with their eyes, they did not have to rely on artificial torches. Among the night, they raced between the alleys of the ZOO, having the other animals' applause as support, laughing into the faces of their pursuers. Then, after a long run, they stood in front of a large part of the dense forest.

-"Do you… suppose we should split up?" – Mufasa asked, panting.

-"Why not? It will be more interesting this way" – Scar's face was covered with a grin as he felt the smell of rivalry.

-"Okay! You go south, I'll take the north. Good luck, brother! First one to get himself caught is a retarded hyena!"

-"_Hm-hm_, I can already see you being dragged in a net! Just… don't get yourself killed."

And so they ran off into the night in opposite directions, wondering how long was this freedom going to last.

* * *

"_In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep,  
Through the jungle of doubt, to the river so deep.  
I know I'm searching for something, something so undefined  
That it can only be seen by the eyes of the blind  
In the middle of the night…"_

* * *

_**AN: **_**The song that Mufasa and Scar are singing throughout this chapter is of course Billy Joel's 'River of dreams'. I suppose it kind of describes how they are both looking for their lost freedom, which they have mysteriously regained this night. Seems that the number of the chapter (13) isn't at all unlucky for them- who knows, maybe this night will help in tightening the bond between the brothers?  
**

**Oh, and Amanda the lynx is actually real- I met her at the ZOO in Poznan XD. Her cubs were simply the sweetest little things, but since they haven't been given names yet, in my story I named them after the three sons of Noah.  
**

**I am sorry friends, but I am going to have to hold my publishing probably for a week or so. I have duties in real life that I may not forget about, and am going out of town. I will be back though and I will finish this story eventually. For now, let the brothers enjoy their moment of freedom XD  
**

**See you soon!  
**


	14. False Prophet

**Day 53**

_Raiser's journal._

_LION ESCAPE! _

_Well, actually, that was yesterday night, but I just wasn't able to put pen to paper before we settled the matters at the ZOO! I was awaken by a phone call shortly after midnight. It was the Director, only at first I couldn't understand what he was screaming about, but as soon as I heard the sentence 'THE LIONS HAVE ESCAPED' I almost got a heart attack too! Half an hour later I was already there, seeing a whole crowd of workers, members of management, police, vets and press who were making a big fuss at the gates. The Director was furious- he could barely explain to me what was going on! It wasn't clear then, but the whole situation looked like some kooky eco-terrorists decided to make a statement after reading the crap about animal abuse in the local press. So they barged into the ZOO under the cover of night, spray-painted slogans like 'FREE THE ANIMELS' (sic!) all over the walls, and- guess what! They also torn down the gate to the Lion Walk, and then just left! They were so discreet that the night guard didn't notice anything until he saw a freaking frightened zebra running in front of his booth! Red and Black had the whole park to themselves for about two or three hours before anyone even started looking for them. So, obviously, they decided to have a midnight snack- they killed and partially ate one of our finest zebra stallions, scaring the rest away! Only then did the pursuit start. I led it myself- I, the great wildlife protector, were forced to organize a lion hunt! But that was highly necessary. The fact that the brothers devoured one zebra was nothing when compared to what would happen if they decided to attack a human! Stupid eco-terrorist jerks. So anyway, using the help of the police and their equipment, we were able to spot the lions near the carnivore section. Of course, when they saw the light of our flashlights, they made a run for it. We were hoping to catch up with them before they enter the forest… But we didn't have much luck that night- not only did the brothers find themselves a splendid hiding spot among the trees, they also split and went in opposite directions! The ZOO employees said that maybe it would be better to wait until dawn, but concerning the fact that we could lose more animals until that time if the brothers got hungry, I opposed. After asking the police for help, they sent in another unit with flashlights and also a pair of snipers. Thus the hunt began again. When we were finally able to surround Red and corner him against the walls of the ZOO, it was already about 5 in the morning. Black was still nowhere to be found, but as soon as it became bright, we found where his prints finished at the snow. It turned out he was hiding in the branches of a tree. The sniper had a clear shot, but we still had to call the Fire Department to bring a special net so the lion wouldn't break his neck when falling down. _

_All in all, the boys were back in their cage at the time the ZOO opened. We even managed to repair the gate. The lions were unconscious, but still a whole lot of people came when the press announced that there was a 'prison break' at the ZOO. People- always hungry for sensation. The Director used that immediately and ordered to put up monitors near the Lion Walk that showed the recordings from the surveillance cameras as Red and Black were running around the alleys of the ZOO, killing and eating zebras and ducks on their way. So even though the boys slept all day after their little 'midnight walk', the ZOO still had as many visitors as ever. Man, am I glad this is over! Tonight I'm going to sleep like I've myself been shot with tranquilizer._

_Last night's 'death toll':_

_-1 dead plains zebra_

_-2 dead mallard ducks_

_-1 dead Siberian roe deer (died of heart attack)_

_-1 fired deaf night guard_

_-3 hours totally wasted on getting the rest of the zebras back into their paddock_

_I just can't wait till those bastards from the Vet Inspection show their ugly faces again!_

* * *

Mufasa was trying not to pay attention to his slothfuly decreasing headache. Fortunately enough, the snow that was plentiful in the Lion Walk provided a perfect means of cooling for one's head, and he and his brother were now both lying on their backs beside one another, using a pleasantly cold heap of it as a cushion after their most tiring sleepless night that ended up in inevitable involuntary narcosis.

-"_I won_" – the younger near-fugitive murmured with a note of selfish satisfaction, typical for him, stronger than even his unpleasant state of post-anesthetic hangover. His older competitor just grumbled.

-"_Hmf_! So you got caught _half an hour later_ than I did. How does that change a thing, Scar?"

A chuckle.

-"It does because _I won_. And that makes _you_ a retarded hyena."

A sudden blow to the stomach.

-"_Uff_! And a sore loser, too…"

Another blow. And another, being an answer to the first. An irritated groan… And a pawful of snow straight to the face.

-"_Rah_!" – Mufasa growled, wiping the wet substance from his eyes. He blinked a few times, getting used to the light, and then saw a whole mass of humans, observing him and his brother from behind the big glass wall, gasping in amazement and unusual admiration. And Moses, sitting on a branch with his wings folded.

-"Well well…" – the bird shook his head, looking at them with a sense of respect. – "You guys sure are something, alright… Over one night, you became the sensation of not only the whole ZOO, but the whole frickin town!"

Stretching in the snow after their long rest, Mufasa and Scar laughed, each satisfied in their own ways.

-"I hope you're happy with yourselves!" – their majordomo went on. – "No-one has ever done something like that before. You can expect a lot of your bird fans visiting you in the next days. For any other animal, it's a thrill to even know someone who's ever seen you two! On my way here, I got yelled at from all the cages I passed so I would tell you everyone is giving you their applause. Well, maybe apart from the zebras… But hey- you've achieved what every other locked up beast dreams of! So tell me- how was it?" – he grinned, a shine of anticipation in his coal-black eyes.

-"It was simply _marvelous_!" – Scar answered more to himself with a smile, lifting from the snowy ground which bared a melted shape of his body and approaching the stream in order to satisfy his most unbearable thirst. But when Moses directed his sight towards Mufasa, he had a feeling that the older lion wasn't as happy as his sibling. The bird wondered what was the cause of that. The brothers did have an opportunity of a lifetime, which they'd used to the fullness. Last night was their night- they left their prison, went whenever they wanted, ate whatever they hungered for… And still, out of all that, Mufasa seemed to be enjoying nothing at all. He was lying on his side with one paw under his head, sketching shapes in the snow with a claw of the other. After the time he'd spent serving the lion brothers, Moses had known them enough to understand the colossal difference between the two- he found Scar as a kind of a loner, his character making him close to being anti-social. Even if he did leave something behind back in his former African home, he did not miss that at all. Mufasa, on the other hand, was a leader who was separated from the ones he'd lead. A king and a father. Everything that he had was left in Africa. Despite still being inwardly overwhelmed by the supreme animal's power, Moses felt sorry for him. And he really hoped that the plan with Anya the stork would work out, because if it didn't, the raven feared that Mufasa might have extreme difficulties with baring his life of custody…

-"It's impossible to escape, isn't it, Moses?" – the older lion asked with a sad tone of his voice. He didn't even turn his head away from whatever he was drawing in the snow.

The bird frowned.

-"_Erm, _well…" – he faltered. – "In the long run… when viewed objectively… the possibility is… close to zero."

Moses feared a sudden reaction, but nothing like that happened. Neither Scar nor Mufasa made a single move after hearing his words.

-"The ZOO is surrounded with a wall, as you have probably experienced last night" – the raven explained the case, leaving no place for doubt. – "Even in the very _unlikely_ event that an animal would ever cross that wall, this land is still densely inhabited by humans. And humans have weapons. Not only such that can put you to sleep and than make you want to puke for a few hours. Also such that can downright kill you."

A long silence followed. Both Scar, who was already outstretched on one of the boulders, and Mufasa, still drawing in the snow, meditated for a while on the fact that their last-night trip was probably the last one of such events in their entire life. Not able to stand that thought, the older lion sighed and raised from the ground. Piercing the sky with his sorrowful, brown eyes, he whispered a cry for help that came from the bottom of his trembling, longing and slowly weakening heart.

-"_Kunisaidia, baba… baba yangu… __Nahitaji __ushauri wako..._"

Moses wondered. He'd never heard such a language before. Interested, he flew down and sat beside Scar, making him reluctantly open his disfigured, emerald eye.

-"_Hey, Scar-face_!" – whispered the raven majordomo. – "What was your brother saying? I couldn't understand a thing."

-"First of all, if you ever call me _Scar-face_ again, I'll swallow you up like the ducks I ate last night, get it? Second- _of course _you couldn't understand what my brother said, you European bird-brain. These words are an old prayer in the African sacred tongue, or _lion-latin_. They can be translated as- _'help me, my father. I need your council'_".

What the black-maned lion said seemed a little strange for Moses.

-"_Huh_? Didn't you tell me that your father has died years ago? Why would someone ask for advice from a dead guy?"

He said that without consideration. Then he bit his tongue, but it was much too late. The brothers were already devouring him with gazes of extreme surprise. Their later reaction was varied, however- Scar bared his fangs in a grin, while Mufasa dropped his jaw with a desperate stare.

-"_What_?" – gasped the older brother. – "Moses, you told me that the animals of Europe believe that their ancestors do not die, but reside in the sky as stars, just like we do in Africa! You said that _you_ yourself believe that!"

The bird looked very frightened. And very crestfallen, just like he'd made some huge mistake.

-"_Heh_… Yeah, sure I do!" – he didn't sound very convincing. His face was covered with an awkward smirk as he jumped away from the raising Scar, who was looking him straight in the eyes.

-"_Ooh_, bad move, my feathered friend! You see, my brother is extremely sensitive when it comes to religious issues, _heh-heh_…"

Feeling the hard wall behind his back, Moses threw a final, fearful gaze towards the now angrily growling Mufasa.

-"_Ehm_… oh boy, look at the sun! _Uhm_, I think I heard my mate croaking, too… No offence guys, but I really gotta fly! Smell ya laterrr… _AHHH_!"

The raven was barely able to take off into the air and omit Mufasa's sharp fangs that were close to either just grab his tail or chop him in two. After seeing his majordomo disappearing behind the walls of his walk, the lion charged with fury and approached his brother, making the grin disappear on his face and the crowd of humans hum with admiration.

-"Since when did you know that he was lying to us?" – Mufasa screamed, fury twisting his face.

-"_Uh_, cool down, brother… Is seems you need to throw that red head of yours back into the snow…"

-"_Answer me_! Do you think this is a game, Scar? Do you drain pleasure from observing my pain?"

-"I don't know what…"

-"You _WILL_ tell me everything you know about Moses _right now_! Do I make myself clear?"

Scar seemed a little insecure looking straight into his big brother's set of sharp fangs. He directed his startled face at him and put the paw he raised in case he would have to protect himself back on the ground. With a gulp, regaining a firm expression at least superficially, he started his confession.

-"Listen here, Mufasa- whether you believe me or decide to follow your prejudices concerning my person, I did not actually _know_ that Moses has been lying to you. I'd sensed that might be possible, true- that he might just sometimes be adding a little more color to his tales in order to console you as he observed your pain manifesting itself, but without having certainty I was just waiting for a moment for him to clumsily reveal his swindle. Well, it turns out that I was right after all. There are certain… leads that one can follow to tell if another animal is lying."

Scar indeed had a gift in reading what was happening in someone's inside. Right now, he could observe as his brother's anger was mixing with the sorrow of a person who's losing the hope he thought he'd had.

-"Was he lying about… the stork, as well?" – Mufasa's expression was woeful, yet begging for him to be sincere. Scar took his time before he answered.

-"I simply have no idea about that one. We can be sure that _some_ of the things he told us were indeed true, as we were able to find out last night… but was the whole stork thing a fraud and a game? I suppose that now we might never know."

Mufasa howled after hearing these words. He howled with a frightening energy of a shattered ruler- a sound that, as it echoed from the walls of the Lion Walk, reminded Scar of the time when his brother exiled the hyenas from the Pridelands after they had killed their father, king Ahadi. Wondering senselessly in his inebriating fury, feeling his headache returning with a newfound intensity, he called out with a lion's most intimidating war cry before he was even able to fix his eyes back on the black-maned sibling, who just sat there on the rock, watching him.

-"I… I should _kill_ that raven for making fools of us. And you- if I find out that you've _ever_ been trying to bluff just like him, you will find yourself in a far worse state than any human can put you…"

But Scar did not pay much attention to his brother's threats. Instead, he addressed him with surprising gravity.

-"Oh no, Mufasa. I couldn't lie to you. That wouldn't serve me well at all. _Mimi ni __ndugu yako... Sisi ni moja._"

If Mufasa could wish to be able to distinguish whether his brother was being sincere or if he was mocking him just for once when that was impossible for him, he would want to know that after he heard those specific words.

* * *

**AN: Well what do you know, I did manage to find a piece of Internet in this place XD**

**I give you chapter 14 as soon as I am able. Contrary to the previous one, this is a sad moment in my story. After one night of freedom, Mufasa and Scar end up back in their cage, what is inevitable. What's worse, they find out that their majordomo wasn't exactly sincere with them... Well, originally Moses was a liar in "Animal farm". But the brothers can't be sure to what extent were his stories untrue- if the whole thing with Anya the stork was true, what is their greatest concern. So are all their hopes lost?  
**

**Mufasa fears that, and thinks that Scar might have been bluffing him as well, though the latter seems to also be feeling bad about the whole situation. What he said in Swahili was- _you are my brother. We are one. _So does he sympathize with his brother or is it just his typical staging?  
**

**Check out chapter 15 about saturday XD  
**


	15. Confession

**Day 96**

_Raiser's journal._

_Today I packed my notes as well as the results of over three months of research and began my journey to the Annual National Zoology Association Convention. The Director is very happy about my idea to present my plans to my colleagues from all over the world. There might just be someone who will want to engage in our Cape Lion Restoration project, and with enough luck for that to happen, the Director will be happy to support the whole thing from the ZOO's finances, hoping for even more income in the future if everything goes as planned. May it be. Even though it's just a short parting, I went to the Lion Walk this morning to say goodbye to the boys. If they only knew just how precious they are to me, and maybe very soon- to all of nature. I am more then enthusiastic about what I will be able to work out during the Convention._

* * *

They have both had their afternoon nap, eaten their supper, groomed their nice, thick winter fur, walked around the whole place twice ascending and descending every boulder there was, made faces to the humans and even fooled around during a staged wrestling duel. The carves Scar's been making on the side of one of the trees were telling them that they'd been here for as much time as it takes from two lion mates having a 'private moment' together until cubs usually get born. Moses hadn't showed up since the day they scared him off, which was now forty-two sunsets behind. It was only about the sixth or seventh hour in the afternoon, the sky was as dark as if it was almost midnight, hardly any visitors on the other side of the glass wall, and the brothers were bored out of their minds.

-"_Ahh_! I can't stand this anymore!" – Mufasa groaned, rolling on his back in an area devoid of snow. After losing hope that Anya the stork would ever come back to tell him anything about his family, he no longer had a single thing to wait for. Such a pointless and sorrowful existence was slowly bending the former king's proud, unshaken character. At first Scar, who had always considered himself to be greatly and unjustly underestimated by his brother, thought that he should enjoy the fact that Mufasa was suffering a righteous punishment for his once blameworthy rule. But he was far from enjoying anything about the older lion's constant attacks of either hopeless sorrow, anger or other forms of chronic home-sickness. These were the times he wished Mufasa to be the introverted sibling who keeps all his true feelings to himself.

-"What are you wailing about _this time_?" – Scar tried to fill his voice with as much disgust as it was possible to show his fellow inmate just how much he hates to hear him complain about the situation he himself had gotten used to a long time ago. Mufasa calmed down and laid on his belly, a little crestfallen about his own desperate behavior. He remembered the times when as king he would console and ensure his subjects that everything was going to be fine. Too bad now he wasn't able to make himself feel better. But still his brother was there- as annoying as he was, but nonetheless a fellow soul to whom he could open his mouth in times of loneliness.

-"There's nothing to do in this cursed confinement. I don't know about you, but day after day, when I get bored, I'm starting to feel deeply depressed."

-"Well I believe I already told you I'm not going to complain about a place where I get fresh meat without having to run around after it when it's still alive…" – Scar mumbled passively, lying in a very passive position. – "But yes, the boredom actually _is_ a nuisance."

After a moment of silence, Mufasa asked another question just to shoo away the sound of his own brain producing unpleasant thoughts.

-"So… what do you want to kill the time with? I know you well enough to suspect that if you wanted to sleep, you would be snoring already."

_Hilarious_- thought the younger lion, directing his almost empty sight towards his sibling's delicately humorous countenance.

-"We are _talking_, aren't we? That's a good start. Just think of a less senseless subject and we'll be getting somewhere."

Mufasa hummed. And then, with a spark in his eye, he rose and ran up to Scar, ramming through the heaps of thick snow on the way. Halting, with a mane covered in white powder, he smiled widely.

-"Let's talk about _females_!"

Scar snorted sarcastically observing his brother's enthusiasm for such a subject.

-"_Puh_! Right, like you know anything about them! You have not laid your eyes on another lioness than Sarabi since the day you opened them as a cub! Or… is there something I do not know about?" – he grinned with all his malice that always made Mufasa turn away with a feeling of offence.

-"I was a faithful mate, Scar! And you also shouldn't make such a tomcat out of yourself. To my knowledge, you too had just one mate in your life."

The mysterious smile on the dark lion's face did not change at all.

-"_Hm-hm_, your highness, you do not know half of what had been happening in the many dens and thickets of the Pridelands during your reign…"

Mufasa gave him a glare of distaste.

-"Oh I know where _this_ is leading! Okay, let me specify my point here- I don't want to hear a full record of your successful seductions, brother. I doubt I will ever be bored enough to listen about _that_… Instead, I would want to hear you telling me something about your relations with Sarafina."

-"Not _that_ again! I told you, it is a closed chapter in my life."

-"But we're both only _remembering_ our mates, aren't we?"

-"I will not tell you anything you would try to demand of me!"

-"Well how about if I _asked_ you to tell me?"

-"Oh… _uh_, very well! You always were stubborn as a rhino." – Mufasa couldn't fight the feeling that a faint shine of nostalgia appeared in his brother's eyes as he sighed to gather his thoughts before continuing. He always listened carefully when Scar was in the mood for confessions- the fact that he usually hid his feelings and emotions caused that sometimes Mufasa though that he was no longer familiar to his sibling. – "Sarafina was… well, _fairly_ good looking for one thing. I suppose she swiftly caught my eye when I started observing our female playmates in a different way than a cub does. But who am I saying this to- you should know that, even though you already couldn't see the world beside Sarabi. Fina was a moderately good huntress, and also rather… silent, tranquil and dependant of others. Always submissive. It took me some time before I found out that these were indeed the outer features of the petty weakness of her character… But I did not pay much attention to that at first. I liked that she did not question my behavior or contradict to what I asked of her. If I wanted to go away for a day or so- it was fine with her. If I wanted to spend time with her- just the same. Almost no will of her own… Hardly ever would she even express her thought- when we would converse, it was usually me talking anyway. Sometimes it was nothing but mutual muteness for hours… Come to think of it, I kind of miss that now."

-"_Heh-heh_. Yeah! I remember dad always said that you two are a perfect pair of outsiders…"

-"He didn't know nothing! Later I found out that she was definitely not someone I could be with."

-"But still somehow you decided to have cubs with her."

-"_Ha_! And who wouldn't? She was perfect material for a mother. It's a damn shame I didn't know she would give birth to a female cub… After coping with that I decided to give her another chance, but I suppose you know perfectly well what happened then."

-"You know, it sounds as if you think that Sarafina had any control over the sex of your cubs or how long they would live!"

-"Oh even if she didn't I'd still regret to have ever chosen her as my mate."

-"It's always been a thing Sarabi and I were wondering about. Tell me… Have you ever really loved her?"

Scar thought for a moment. For a very short moment.

-"No. No I haven't."

-"And this is exactly why she felt so miserable after giving birth to Nala! Confess it, brother- you never loved your daughter as well!"

-"_Hm_, I suppose at least Nala inherited some independence from me… But still I don't like the tone of your voice, _brother_. What are you trying to tell me- that you felt so sorry for poor Fina and poor little Nala that you betrothed the cub to your own son thus making her a future queen? Oh, what a great sacrifice for a ruler! And all this just to compensate the lack of love your brother did not give to them…"

Mufasa once again looked at Scar with shock, disgusted by his ability to turn such serious matters into malicious comedy.

-"They _deserved_ your love, and not to be abandoned like some pall game!"

-"You don't even know how pall…"

-"Nonsense! You might be cruel at times, Scar, but you are not heartless! I don't believe a word from what you just said to me! As you mentioned before, I did see you and Sarafina together back when we were younger. You were just as crazy about her as I was about Sarabi! I started to worry when I noticed how unaffected you were when Nala was born, but all that changed when your mate gave you Mheetu! You were a different lion then, Scar. And you will never, ever convince me that you haven't had any love at all for your own son!"

Suddenly, Mufasa found himself on the ground with four sharp claws stabbing at this throat and his brother's heavy paw almost making him unable to breathe. Frightened, he only observed the flames in Scar's eyes as he began screaming to him.

-"Now you will listen carefully- my son was something I dreamed about for years. It was another thing you had that I could not, but I could cope with not being king or not having as perfect a mate as yours. _This_ was something totally different. When Simba was born and Fina was pregnant I kept saying to myself- if I can't have the throne, at least I'll have a son of my own. And then I had Nala. Not quite satisfactory. So then I tried again. Thus Mheetu came to the world and that was the day I thanked the stars for finally being fair towards me- at last, I was not sentenced to having to observe you enjoy something I couldn't own. I loved Mheetu, Mufasa. I loved every inch of his body. Every sound he made. Every minute, every second of the seventy-four days of his life. He was someone that could make me equal to you. I would never have your crown, nor your mate… I thought that I could at least have a son."

A shock. Mufasa experienced a shock when he saw tears flowing down his brother's fury-expressing face. He felt Scar's rage to be nothing but an outer appearance. Inside, his heart screamed from the hunger of love he didn't have, and that he was no longer capable of.

-"I… I never wanted you to have any less than myself" – Mufasa whispered with true sincerity, afterwards feeling his brother's grip loosening.

-"I know, Mufasa. I know it's not your fault. Life's just not fair, is it?"

He let him go. It was just like nothing at all happened- Scar just turned around and made a few steps, regaining his totally calm and passionless demeanor.

-"Now let me ask _you _a question" – he said with his back turned after his startled brother was able to get up from the ground. – "Have_ you_ ever loved Sarabi?"

-"What do you mean by _loved_? I _still_ love her! And I always will!"

Scar turned around and looked at him. His eyes were as cold as the mid-winter European snowstorm. No- in fact, they were even colder.

-"Do you say that because you two were betrothed since you were cubs?"

-"What are you talking about?"

-"My question is simple. Do you love Sarabi out of your own free will, or just because you had been _ordered_ to love her? And if you ever had a chance to choose, would you pick her… or maybe you would have thought twice?"

Mufasa was speechless. He thought he knew what was going on in his heart, but… he'd never asked himself such a question. And, to his own shock, he did not know the answer. Instead of saying anything, he just pierced Scar with a gaze filled with helplessness. After a long while, his brother just frowned.

-"As I have said, life's not fair. Even for a king. There was a time I got used to the thought I was never born predestined to inherit the throne. At least I could choose my own mates that way. Unfortunately, even though my choice was free and yours was not, yours still turned out to be a much better one…"

After such a conclusion of their conversation, both of the brothers decided that they rather make themselves go to sleep earlier than to even try to fight with the kind of thoughts that were born in their minds.

* * *

**AN: Hi! I'm back earlier than I had thought XD.**

**So here's the deal- in this chapter I tried to give the brothers a little psychoanalysis. So why is Scar bad? Because he is jealous- simple. But remember the first scene of TLK? He says 'I shall never be king' as if he is used to the thought. Well, this is actually the time when Sarafina is his mate and she just gave birth to Nala- Scar was hoping to have a son earlier than his brother, and since his mate had a girl, he is frustrated, alienated and doesn't show up at Simba's presentation. When he gives Fina another chance, he's more than satisfied with the birth of Mheetu. But, unfortunately, the little lion dies of some sickness and this is when Scar totally loses it and rebels against cruel fate and his brother the king. This is the time of the scene when Simba comes to visit him- once again he is away from Pride Rock, and his jealousy makes him want to assassinate not just his nephew, but also his own daughter, whom Mufasa had betrothed to his son after her father abandoned her.**

**Mufasa on the other hand is always righteous and obedient to his father and the old law. When Scar asks him whether his feelings towards Sarabi are true love or just his blind lawfulness, he becomes numb.**

**So it's basically family issues- always family issues. Please, tell me what you think about this theory- I'd like to read a few reviews before going on with the story as to estimate where I should take it. There's a lot of people reading, so feel free to express your opinion, friends!**


	16. Cape Lion Restoration Project

**Day 104**

_Raiser's journal._

_Success! He came up to me after my lecture during the NZA Convention. His name is doctor Lyev Yudsky and he works as a researcher in Moscow. He was one of the more enthusiastic scientists I met, because some simply mock and roll their eyes whenever they hear about the idea of restoring the population of Cape lions- an extinct sub-species that didn't even have a distinct gene pool. But doctor Yudsky was bold enough to think differently- he agrees with my idea that if we could connect a pair of animals of Cape lion decency, it might be possible to preserve the unique external morphology of the sub-species in a new line. And then, after a few generations, the distinctive gene pool might just develop itself- even though the exterior features are connected more with environmental conditions, if we prevent cross-breading, they just might 'stay in their blood', so to say, and would be preserved for future generations. But the zoologist from Russia didn't just come to me to say he supports my ideas- no, he said that he himself wants to get involved! It seems that at the ZOO in Moscow they have a family of felines that are said to come from the last Cape lion that was caught in the wild and put in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris in the late 1850s. And guess what- one of them is a young adult female! The guy said that he will do everything he can to convince the Moscow ZOO management to make a deal with us, and that he will call me as soon as he has any specific information. I just can't wait._

* * *

**Day 107**

_Raiser's journal._

_Doctor Yudsky called me this morning saying that he managed to talk the director of the Moscow ZOO into selling us their lioness. Now that's what I call good news! I didn't have to wait long before our Director called me saying that there was someone on his phone who was speaking half-Russian half-bad English and that he needed to see me at once. And so I tried to mediate in explaining the conditions of the deal. Basically, the Russians said that they have enough lions and that they will happily help us in starting to breed them ourselves… for nothing but the money, that is. The price that they proposed was, well, not very pleasing. The Director was visibly reluctant, but I said that our partners would take care of the transport and other formalities and with enough luck the whole investment would pay off fast. All we need is just a little luck and proper advertisement to show the people who our new specimen is and how important her role would be. And so, finally, the Director agreed, making me responsible for anything that might go wrong. But it will not go wrong. I'm starting the preparations right away- the Lion Walk will need to be rearranged and expanded, Red and Black will have to go through another set of tests. I just hope the boys are as thrilled as their daddy is!_

* * *

Having woken up not long ago, Mufasa observed with a weary stare as his brother was accomplishing his every-day ritual by carving another notch on the side of one of the trees.

-"How many?" – he asked him.

-"One hundred and eight" – responded the younger lion before his jaws were open by a wide yawn.

It was just another lazy morning, much like the many passed ones and the many future ones. Or at least that was what Mufasa initially thought, not knowing what their human patrons were up to behind the wooden walls of their walk. Shortly before the typical hour when the ZOO was opened for visitors, there was a clicking sound at the door. The brothers had gotten used to the presence of people and as long as no one wanted to hurt them or fool around in any other way, they let the workers enter in order to clean their little dominion or bring them fresh food. Mufasa sometimes had second thoughts about that, but Scar would continue to rebuke him angrily every time he decided to scare a _bald monkey _with a louder sportive growl. And so this time when the skinny, pale-skinned male entered their walk smiling at the two lions and calling to them in his vague, incomprehensible tongue, they showed him little or no interest at all. He was dragging a cart that had large, raw pieces of meat on it, and a while later he was already placing the food in various points all around. _Breakfast_- Mufasa thought with moderate pleasure, as eating became one of the most enjoyable thing among the handful of occupations in the ZOO's agenda. But right now, feeling a constricting sensation in his stomach, he rose and made his way towards a nice big chunk of pork. Scar was already gulping up tasty treats not far away from him, and both of the brothers remained silent, occupied by their meal, yet still they did notice something rather unusual- the ZOO employee did not take his cart and leave, like he almost always had, but instead he just stood and observed them from a distance, smiling.

_You're not going to see us making a big show just for you, man_- the older lion said to himself in his thoughts. And so the breakfast went on undisturbed, one piece of meat after the other, but the human didn't move by an inch. Finally, after placing himself comfortably on a rock and licking his muzzle clean, Scar expressed that he was starting to lose his patience.

-"Is this doleful primate going to leave or does he need to be chased away? How am I supposed to take a morning leak with him eyeballing me all the time?"

Mufasa laughed inwardly, his thought being quite correspondent with his sibling's. But just a second later, just as if the man was waiting for the lions to finish, he finally turned around and left towards the gate. The brothers thought they got rid of him, but that was just the beginning- the human did not get out, but rather opened the door to inform other people that now they could enter themselves. After just a few moments, the brothers observed more humans than there were ever in their walk at one time. And they did not seem as if they just wanted to take a closer look.

Mufasa growled, momentarily adopting his warning, aggressive pose.

-"Hold it!" – Scar said firmly to suppress whatever his cellmate was planning. – "Don't you _try_ to attack them! Look- they've got weapons. Do you want to be put to sleep again? I swear, if the humans hurt me because of your foolishness, you're going to find yourself in a lot more trouble than they are able to create!"

The red-head lion's eyes also became red with rage, but as he observed how cautiously the ZOO workers approached, he decided to listen to his brother and not yield to his temptation to attack. At first it was hard for him to let the humans touch him, but somehow he had a feeling that they meant no harm. Maybe Scar was right? Maybe they were both in some way precious to the _bald monkeys, _what was why they took all the effort to transport them here all the way from Africa? Sure, they did steal him away from his family… but would it serve his pride at all if he even killed a dozen people, being himself put to death afterwards? No. That would be an act of despair. The Lion King may be imprisoned, but he may never let himself fall into despair.

This is why Mufasa did nothing but growl when the humans laid their warm hands on him delicately and put a kind of a collar around his neck, even though he heard the loud curses of his brother. Instead he though about if Scar was so furious because he was humiliated by being practically shackled, or was it because the clumsy zookeepers totally messed up his mane while trying to leash him.

The siblings shared a gaze of insecurity. They were now fully in the humans' clutches- the collars around their necks attached to long poles that the guards were holding tightly.

-"Good thing you didn't bite or these bastards'd undoubtedly muzzle us…" – Scar muttered, successfully hiding his blazing fury under the cover of cynicism.

Mufasa didn't answer. He didn't even have enough time to do so, as the humans were already pulling their leashes, encouraging them to get up and follow them wherever they were heading. Though they did so with extreme aversion, fearing what was going to happen, the two lions rose from the ground and let themselves be lead out of the walk to their keepers' great applause and relief.

-"Whoa, I was starting to think that we're never gonna get out of this place again!" – Mufasa said after they went pass the gate and saw the familiar path outside yet another time.

-"Yes, well it seams that our _benefactors_ do not want to let us lose our minds from boredom… they prefer to let that happen as we will be pondering over what the hell are they going to do to us next!" – Scar answered, trying to cope with his unbearable uncertainty in his own way.

The humans lead Red and Black, as they called them, a few yards down the road, where the ZOO's special transport van was already waiting for them. The van had a large metal cage in the back, big enough to hold both of the animals during their necessary temporal relocation. To the zookeepers' joy, the brothers obediently jumped up to the back of the car and into the cage, so using cattle prods wasn't even needed. As the van was driving through the alleys of the park, the people sitting inside could hear the lions howling in unison, what was their typical way of communicating their presence to every animal around. And so both the human visitors and the animal inhabitants of the ZOO could hear this royal passage of the two kings of the beasts. When they were getting close to the zebra paddock, however, the cage was covered with a black canvas so that the poor equines would be safe from getting a heart attack. Shortly they were at their place of destination- a large building that held the offices and also the laboratory of the institution. The lions were calm when they left the cage and fallowed their keepers inside, attracting the curious looks of people who usually worked with either computers or blood samples. After putting them in another cage in the laboratory, one that was large enough to hold them both, their raiser, the man who Mufasa and Scar had learned to recognize a long time ago, came up to the bars and looked at them with joy and pride painted on his face.

-"_Well done, boys! You won't regret this little vacation, trust me!_" – he said to them in his own language that was incomprehensible to them, but still in the tone of his voice and in his moves they could feel that he was trying to brighten up their mood.

Mufasa took a look around their cage, still having difficulties in moving his collared neck. They had been there already, on the few occasions when the humans ran their unbearable tests on his brother and him. The lion, seeing the great displeasure in his sibling's eyes, wondered if he was having the same dark thoughts as him.

-"I see you're as enthusiastic as I am about this place, Scar. You think they're going to… hurt us again? You know, with the tests?"

-"No" – Scar uttered with an angry frown, staring into nothingness.

-"What is it, then? You fear they might want to take us away? Separate us, maybe?"

-"No, that's not it too."

The irritation in Scar's words was becoming deeper and deeper. Mufasa felt concerned about what in the world might be making his brother even more worried about their situation. He was a perceptive cat, so was there something even more terrible that had missed his eyes but met his younger sibling's?

-"Scar…?" – he inquired fearfully.

His cellmate looked as if that call snapped him out of some trance of anger, and the black-maned lion gazed at him suddenly.

-"Oh I still need to take a bloody leak, that's all!" – he snapped, afterwards adopting a demanding expression that was saying- _do you mind?_

-"Uh, right! Okay, I get it…" – Mufasa stammered, turning around swiftly, feeling probably as embarrassed as his brother.

* * *

**AN: Uh-oh, the humans are up to something... Well two lions in a ZOO might be a moderately thrilling attraction, but a whole family of lions with cubs is far more lucrative. And this is exactly what the Raiser is planning- to get the boys a treat in the person of a pretty female. Well, little does he know that they are in fact both married already... but will that matter? They are quite lonely, and besides- lions are far from being monogamous... So what do you guys think? Are there gonna be new cubs running around the Lion Walk? XD**


	17. Her

**Day 119**

_Raiser's journal._

_A job well done- the new Lion Walk's all finished and ready to receive it's inhabitants. Red and Black are already inside, sleeping. She arrived from Russia yesterday, being sent in the cheapest possible way. But nonetheless we're releasing her in about half an hour. I hope they all get along! I'm too excited to write!_

* * *

After spending ten days in a cage, Mufasa and Scar were brought back to their walk. But it wasn't the same walk anymore- the whole place has been reconstructed during their absence and was now about a third part larger. Instead of thirteen trees there were now sixteen, the layout of the rocks has been cleverly rearranged and the petty wooden shack was replaced by a fairly large, stone grotto that bore all the necessary features to be rightfully called a den. The brothers were satisfied, laying themselves to sleep in their new little castle that was really a home worthy of kings after what they'd been through.

And when they woke up…

It was the scent they felt that drove them from the land of sleep. The scent that was something far more intriguing that any change the humans might have imposed in their dwelling's landscape. It was something that made every male lion extremely aroused no matter who or where he was.

It was the scent of a lioness.

The brothers could hardly believe it as they sat beside one another at the entrance to their cave, piercing the new object that stood in the middle of their walk with astonished glares. The object was a large wooden box, but that was not important. What was important was what the box contained inside it. From their point of view, the lions could not see what it was, but they could very well sense it. And that familiar smell made both of them remember many good moments of their lives.

-"Scar" – Mufasa asked his sibling silently. – "Do you feel what I feel?"

-"Stop asking stupid questions, of course I do!" – the younger lion's words did not give a chance to make out a specific emotion from them. Except maybe for curiosity.

Not thinking much, the former king rose in order to investigate this peculiar new thing that was brought to them by the humans, but as soon as he moved, Scar held him by the shoulder with his paw and forced him back to his former position.

-"What the hell are you doing? Sit down, shut up and observe! First we need to estimate whether it will be worth to permit ourselves to a closer interaction…"

Feeling a little crestfallen, Mufasa obeyed. It took quite some time for anything to happen, during what the males did nothing but enjoy whatever they were able to find out from the scent in the air. She was unfamiliar to them… not a cub anymore, definitely… but not old as well. Try as he might, the older lion could not shake the slight feeling of pleasure from his mind.

Targeting the box with all their attention, first the brothers heard a silent rustle that sounded as if someone rose from a wooden floor. Their hearts started to play a rapid melody. Then they saw a head, peeking out of the container and curiously scouting the surrounding area- a pretty face of a lioness only in the first moons of her adulthood, delicate in shape, with large eyes and dark, hazel brown fur covering a short, solemnly looking muzzle. The rest of her that came out a second later for the lions to admire was just as aesthetic- a slim built body, not very huntress-like, yet decorated with a nice mixture of charred and pale, creamy beige fur, the latter color covering her throat and belly. She looked miserable, but obviously not because of her bodily features. The males could sense that she'd probably had a difficult journey and wasn't very happy about her new environment. Startled, she only made a few paces leaving her paw prints in the fresh snow, sadness in her eyes. She did not utter a word though, seemingly oblivious to the other lions' presence. But that was impossible- she just had to feel their scent as it marked nearly every tree in the Lion Walk. And Mufasa was just dying to speak to her.

-"Hey!" – he called out, at once getting a forceful stab to the side from Scar.

-"_Kimya!_" – surprisingly, his brother decided to address him in 'lion-Latin'. – "_Sisi __kuzungumza lugha __takatifu._"

Mufasa glared at the lioness, who after sending them not much more than a short, tired and uninterested look, sat at the stream and started to greedily lap the water.

-"_Kike!_" – Mufasa called the female again. This time she didn't even move. – "_Hm_, _ajabu... Kwa nini si __yeye __kujibu? Mwanamke gani si __kuelewa?_"

-"_Nadhani si..._" – Scar answered. – "_Mwangalie__. __Sidhani yeye ni kutoka jirani._"

Mufasa thought it was kind of like the time when he and his brother were still cubs, when their mother, queen Uru, would use the sacred language to talk to other lions whenever she didn't want her children to understand what the conversation was about. But now, contrary to their new cellmate lioness, the brothers both knew that specifically African tongue and could use it just in the same way.

-"_Naam._" – he continued, still observing the drinking female. – "_Yake manyoya... Hivyo giza sana... Hivyo sawa na-_"

-"..._ na mama?_" – his brother interrupted him, expressing the same thought.

-"_Ndiyo! Mimi mawazo ya__huo._"

-"_Simba kutoka kusini..._"

-"_Yeye __inafanana na __wewe pia, kidogo_."

-"_Puh_! _Si mtu najua._"

After these words, both the males went silent. For a long time they weren't able to take their eyes off the new inhabitant of the ZOO's Lion Walk.

* * *

**AN: The translation of Mufasa and Scar's conversation is:**

**S: Be quiet! Let's speak the sacred language.**

**M: Female! Hm, strange... Why doesn't she answer? Doesn't she understand it?**

**S: I think not... Look at her- I don't think she's from nearby.**

**M: Yeah. Her fur... It's so dark... So similar to-**

**S: ... to mother?**

**M: Yes! I thought the same.**

**S: A lion from the south.**

**M: She resembles you too, a little.**

**S: **_**Puh**_**! Not anyone I know.**

* * *

**Yeah, I don't actually know Swahili so if someone does, sorry for any punishable errors on my behalf. So Leonidas the lynx was right- the two lonely males did get themselves a new lady friend. So... what now? They are being careful at the moment, but they're just bound to start a closer communication with her. Just how 'close' is it going to be? Will anyone of them forget his home and fully engage in creating a new one in the ZOO?  
**

**I have noticed a lot of interest around this story. I am truly flattered with it- I will try my best, even though I will have to leave town for the whole of September and I have no idea if I'll even have access to the Internet where I'm going.  
**


	18. From Russia with Love

**Day 120**

_Raiser's journal._

_Success! I just finished talking to doctor Yudsky on the phone. He's as happy as I am that Red and Black had accepted the unfamiliar Russian lioness without any conflict. We already have a bet over which one of the males is going to become her mate! I supose I should rename this as the 'Breeders journal' now. New posters depicting all three lions have been printed and hanged all over town- all it takes now is to wait._

* * *

She was a jewel among the snow.

Try as he might, Mufasa could not fight in himself the unintentional urge to direct his sight towards the clearly distinctive brown spot that wallowed among the sixteen emerald pines and left her pawprints on the soft, shining-white carpets of the Lion Walk.

The weather was a harsh, European sub-zero winter, but Mufasa felt white-hot, engulfed in his own fur as if on a sun-scorched African desert. It was all because of the scent... The hormones of a young female in heat were flying in the air as delicate, light, untangible butterflies, entering his lungs with every breath, igniting fires of hell inside his bowels.

Mufasa had been the alpha male of a large lion pride. True, he didn't lie whenever he said that he had been faithful to his queen... But Sarabi was very, _very_ far away at the moment. And he had been lonely for far too long.

Not making a single move from the den since he woke up, he continued to fight his inner battle. Scar was still dead asleep, far from the time when he would usually open his eyes. His brother had told him to be careful... To wait and observe before taking any actions... So now he was observing. And wondering deeply how does one actually recognize the moment when one has enough info from what his eyes are able to provide him with and the proper time comes to actually make the first move.

_I need to control myself... remember that I have a mate... a mate I love and a son of whom she is the mother! _

_But still..._

_Is it polite to just ignore a new guest in the kingdom? Would it be wrong to... Would it be wrong if I just... talked to her? Welcomed her here and found out who she really is? After all, it wouldn't be much more than just a conversation... _

He took another look at Scar, comfortably displayed on the stone pavement, breathing steadily between loud snores.

_Just a conversation..._

He felt his four paws lifting him from the ground as if they lived a life of their own.

_Just a conversation._

His heart hammering, he approached the delicately murmuring stream of water that from as far as yesterday had been slicing through the walk seperating the male part of it from the one that was inhabited by _her_. At the moment, she was drinking, seemingly oblivious to the large lion's presence, truly rather ignoring him emerged in her own thoughts, a little scared and a whole lot more curious.

He stooped down and started to drink himself. He wasn't thirsty at all, and most of the water that he was trying to lap with his tongue only made his muzzle wet rather than making it into his mouth at all. But it's kind of tough for a feline to drink when his eyes are directed in a totally distant position. In this case, it was the other side of the stream, where the mysterious, hazel-furred youth stood, hesitating a while before letting her large eyes that were the same color as her magnificent hide meet the inquiring gaze of Mufasa the Lion King.

They both stopped drinking unanimously. The male, feeling an inward shake, now found out that he did not have a greeting sentence ready. But then again, he was of noble decency, so he kind of automatically knew how to act in a formal manner.

-"Don't be scared" – he whispered, trying to calm her down with the sound of his voice and ensure her he wasn't going to be hostile. – "My name is Mufasa and I just want to say hello."

The much older and much bigger lion could not make out what the lioness was thinking from the look of her face. He tried out for a smile, and that turned out to be a right move. As a reward, he heard her smooth voice for the first time.

-"I'm pleased to meet you" – she answered politely yet still with a bit of hesitation. Mufasa chuckled.

-"_Heh-heh._ What's your name, girl? Don't worry, you can relax. Now that we finally have the chance to see a member of our own species, me and my brother Scar over there are far from wanting to harm you in any way."

The female sighed. Mufasa's words were a bit of relief for her, but still they didn't shoo away all of her sadness.

-"They call me Laila."

_Laila. Lie-lah. _The tip of the tongue taking a trip of two steps to tap at the palate.

Lie. Lah.

The nymphete.

The fire of his loins.

-"Laila! That's nice, I've never heard such a name. What part of Africa do you come from? Judging by the color of your fur, I'm guessing you are a southerner, ey?"

Surprisingly to the lion, his interlocutor frowned with surprise. And then she started a wave of irritated monologue, her voice changing from the one of a gentle young girl to a tearful, constricted shriek.

-"_Africa_? No, I've never even been there! I was born in a land called Russia, in a cage in which I spent a happy three years of my life before those damned humans took me away without giving a single alert! And what am I supposed to do now without my parents, my brothers, my whole family? Oh this is just so wrong... And this whole place- it's so much smaller than our previous walk! I don't know how am I going to be able to live here... And you- I know how you've been looking at me! My mother told me that something like that may happen in the future- that I would be taken away and made a cub factory for some dumb yob with a mane... You and your brother better leave me alone! I can bite, you know- I was brought up with two brothers and I know how to protect myself!"

Mufasa moved away from her piercing, both sorrowful and militant expression totally crestfallen and numb. His heart was thumping, the female's anger nothing but turning up his excitement, but afterwards he observed her break down crying, what made him overcome his emotions and look at her with pity.

-"Gee my young friend, I didn't know that you've been through so much trouble..."

-"You don't know half of it!" – she uttered, despising his unability to truly sympathyze with her pain.

-"But please, listen to me- let's not start this acquaintence with a fight. Me and Scar have also been abducted from our home about four months ago. You can trust us, really..."

Sniffing, she wiped the tears from her face with a paw, trying to regain her dignity.

-"I'll think about it" – she said dryly. – "Just give me this day to spend it alone, ok... Mufasa?"

-"Fine, fine" – answered the male, expressing he neither took nor meant any offence. – "Just have this in your mind- if you feel cold tonight, there is plenty of room in our cave over there..."

Simultaneously, they turned around and walked away from the stream. As he was approaching the den, Mufasa almost shivered seeing Scar's emerald eyes piercing him like daggers. At first he awaited an angry rebuke... But his brother showed no emotion at all. And didn't adress him with a single word until late at night.

* * *

Mufasa thought that he was the only one awake in the Lion Walk. This was why he let himself do what he was doing- stand and observe Laila while she slept.

She came to the den late in the evening, when Scar and him were laying themselves down for the night, sending them a soundless request with the sad look of her eyes. Scar, what was unusual for him, remained passionless, while Mufasa nodded and allowed her to stay.

Right now he was observing. Admiring. Watching her young body wave slighty as she breathed, as she made delicate moves to adjust her position and moaned from inside a world of dreams only she inhabited. He was comparing. Remembering. Picturing Sarabi in his mind, back in the days of their youth- as she ran through the endless savannah in the light of a hot day, encouraging him to follow, her body strong, taut, impressive... Laila had a far more delicate built than his mate. Darker fur. Darker eyes... She wasn't a bit more or less good-looking. She was... different.

_Only three years old... I could almost be her father..._

In a daze, he asked himself if what he was doing was proper. And what _was_ he doing? Nothing, really. Bringing back memories of his love and happiness... Pondering over if he still had the chance to feel such things ever again in his life...

And then he heard _him_. A low whisper, aflame with passion, delighted with lust.

-"_Nini jina lake?_"

-"Laila" – he answered to the question grinding his teeth. The silent laughter he heard in the midst of darkness afterwards sent a shiver down his spine.

-"_Hm-hm... nzuri... nzuri sana, Mufasa! Very nice!_"

The lion was on the edge of his endurance. He couldn't take his eyes off the female before him, and yet an unrestrained image of queen Sarabi hung in his thoughts. In the corner of his eye, he saw the steam that came from the mouth of the dark creature as he respired deeply behind his back.

-"_Kuchukua yake, Mufasa..._"

This gruesome murmur filled him with disgust. And also drained all the power that was still left inside him.

-"_Kuchukua yake... Take her... Kuwa Mfalme, ndugu! Be the Lion King! Kuwa Mfalme wa Simba!_"

He felt the flames consuming him. Every word he was hearing made him fall deeper and deeper...

-"_Kwenda! Kwenda! Go on!_"

Finally, Mufasa had enough. The image of Sarabi disappeared.

-"_KIMYA!_" – he roared, his voice echoing from the walls of the cave and flying like bats into the night.

Suddenly, the lioness jumped up from the ground and sat in a pose of fear and insecurity, gazing at the two startled lion brothers in front of her.

-"What happened? What happened?" – she groaned.

The older sibling's jaw hung down as he sat there speachless and pertified. The one with the scar on the other hand looked at her calmly and smiled.

-"Why good evening there, Laila! Truly there is no need to be disturbed. Let's just go back to sleep, shall we?" – he said plainly.

And that was it. Each of the lions laid himself down under a different wall of the den and there, as far from each other as possible, they spent the rest of the night. Oblivious to the fact that neither of them would sleep for even a single minute.

* * *

**AN: Well what do you know, I managed to find a way to publish another chapter XD.**

**So the new significant character's name is Laila (pronounced _Lie-lah, _it means 'night' in Hebrew). And Mufasa seems, well, quite fond of her. Doesn't the situation make you remember my personally favorite Disney song? The one that goes- _Why I see her dancing there, why her smold'ring eyes still scortch my soul? I feel her, I see her, the sun caught in her raven hair is blazing in me out of all control?_ Yes, it's Frollo's 'Hellfire', probably one of the most lustful scenes in the history of animated cinema... But not only that! There are also several references to a certain bestselling novel in this chapter. The novel who's author comes from the same country as Laila... Get it? And one could think that, judging from the voice actor, Scar should be the one to take special interest in Lol... I mean Laila! XD  
Here we can get a peek of Muffy's naughty side. Will there be more than just a peek? Sorry, but I can't tell you that for now... I really apreciate all your attention and support to me on behalf of this story, but I just don't know when I will be able to publish the next chapters. But worry not- I will finish this, I promise! XD  
**


	19. Tough Period

**AN: Guess what! I found Internet! Hooray indeed, here's Chapter 19 for ya.**

* * *

**Day 123**

_Breeder's journal._

_Everything is peaceful in the Lion Walk. Is it a calm before the storm? Laila is in heat and I am sure that this is more than interesting for both Red and Black, even though mating hasn't occurred yet. If it does, we will know who won the wager that the zookeepers set up about which of the brothers would do it first. The place is overcrowded with visitors again- I just hope that the boys won't kill each other in front of their eyes out of rivalry!_

* * *

-"I would _not_ make that whimsical lass my mate even if the survival of the whole lion kind depended on it, Scar!" – Mufasa shouted the words straight into his brother's grinning face using the sacred language, purposely avoiding Laila from understanding what he was saying. But his brother wasn't in the least concerned about that- still he kept his usual malicious smile, knowing perfectly just how annoying he was.

-"Oh c'mon, Muffy!" – he said staring into the other lion's angry-shaped brown eyes. – "I _know_ how you've been observing her…"

-"Nonsense! I haven't even touched her with a single digit!"

-"Yes, not _yet_ you haven't, but you were pretty close! Not that I blame you- she is quite the one with the _looks_, now isn't she?"

Mufasa was turning his head rapidly as if he was trying to shake something off of it.

-"I _have_ a mate, brother!"

-"And how is that a problem, if you would be so kind to explain?"

-"_What_? What do you… I mean… Uh, if you're enjoying her looks so much, why don't you just take her for yourself?"

Scar silenced for a while and just sat there, staring and laughing delicately.

-"What kind of a brother would I be" – he said finally – "If I just stole the object of your admiration right from in front of your nose?"

-"Laila is _not_ the object of my admiration!"

-"Neither of mine! But still, since you're the more _sociable_ and _familiar_ one of us, I advise you to reconsider. I've noticed how your loneliness has been spoiling your mood lately" – the younger lion's voice adopted a note of deep concern, most likely staged. Then he surrounded Mufasa with a paw and pressed him against himself. – "We are _one_, remember? I have to take care of you…"

His brother gave him a stare that said he was deeply displeased with whatever Scar was planning. Because after all these years together, Mufasa learned that his closest family member hardly ever acted without self-concern or out of sheer care for someone- if he did something, he always anticipated prizes for himself. Or at least it was so when they used to live in Africa… Right now the two cellmates might have become closer to each other to some extent, but still when he looked into those sly, deeply emerald eyes out of which one bore a hideous scar, Mufasa could not drop the feeling that his brother was indeed planning or plotting some latent scheme in order to harm him and benefit himself.

But the boys didn't have much time to spend in this distrustful embrace. Moments later Mufasa remembered the other reason, apart from already having a mate, why he decided to throw away any interest he had for Laila with utter disgust. That was when he heard her screaming.

-"_'FASA! SCAR!_ How many times do I have to tell you to stop ignoring me like this and speak properly! It's driving me crazy!" – the young lioness was standing at the top of a rock and whipping the air with her tail angrily. The males have spent four days with her already, but they needed far less time to find out that Laila was the worst attention-seeker that ever walked the planet. She hated being left out and alone- whenever she saw humans watching her from behind the walk's glass wall, she paraded and did the stupidest tricks just to make them cheer and applause. And when her two older cellmates decided to have a private conversation using their own African tongue, she was close to losing her mind from feeling she was ignored. This is when her naturally smooth voice turned into one more horrible than Mufasa could remember even from the few harsh fights he had with Sarabi. Then the pretty, barely adult Laila would turn into a real devil. Or rather into a sharp, annoying and irremovable thorn in the rump.

While hearing her, Scar dropped his grin.

-"_Hm_, maybe your right- maybe it is unlikely to drain any joy from something like _this_…" – he whispered the last words to his brother's ear in the sacred language.

-"Laila! How are you on this beautiful winter's morning?" – Mufasa said to her politely, showing just how much acting skills he had himself.

The girl growled and swiped a pile of snow from the rock she was standing at.

-"_Uh_! I could call this place anything, but definitely not _beautiful_! Nothing but trees and gravel… And you two! I don't know how in the world did you manage to survive for four months in this hole…"

Scar leaned over to whisper into Mufasa's ear.

-"She annoys the life out of me. Please, do make her your mate! Maybe that'll shut her up…"

-"You shut the hell up!" – the redhead answered with a silent growl and at once redirected his sight towards the female, regaining his regal kindness. – "My dear, it isn't that bad! You'll get used to living here in no time, you'll see!"

Laila snorted at him and chuckled mockingly. Out of all the mocking chuckles he ever heard, most of which his brother was the author, this one heated up Mufasa's blood the most.

-"_Puh_! My mother was right when she said I would end up caged with some ignorant boneheads! Can ya see me now, _mamushka_? Are ya satisfied?" – after throwing the last words towards the sky with a reproach, the lioness jumped down from the rock and approached a big chunk of beef- one of those the humans left as the lions' breakfast. Reluctantly, with a frowned and bored face, she started to play with the meat- knocking it around with her front paws, not even taking the effort to touch it with her muzzle. The brothers were looking at her with aversion- and that was exactly what she wanted. Not to be liked. Only to be acknowledged.

-"You think we should kill her instead?" – Scar whispered again, but Mufasa did not answer, conscious to the fact that his brother's wicked sarcasm was probably dripping and staining his shoulder as he spoke into his ear. – "I suppose we should at least give her a long-deserved beating… I'm sure that would help a little. Or at least bring a smile to my face."

Mufasa was very close to saying "_leave her alone, brother_". Until he heard Laila's voice yet again, that is.

-"This meat is _dry_! It's been in the freezer for too long! Geez, am I supposed to starve in this damned crap of a Lion Walk?"

After a while, Mufasa did speak to his brother again, but he used different words from the ones he intended at first.

-"Scar, I want you to tell me one thing. There are certain days in the life of a lioness when her behavior is rather… unbearable. Am I right? I'm sure you've been through such situations with Sarafina."

The younger lion cleared his throat, not very happy to bring back such memories.

-"Yes, I have. I suppose I already told you about our times of mutual muteness, haven't I?"

-"Oh right" – gasped Mufasa, remembering that was indeed true.

-"And what about you and Sarabi? How did you cope with her 'tough periods', _hm_?" – Scar inquired, smiling.

-"Heh, well… I suppose I haven't told you about our times of mutual _madness_, haven't I?"

The younger brother started to laugh, and the older one soon followed. Among all the humor, Scar started to hum one of their favorite songs, putting it in a somewhat different context and altering the lyrics accordingly.

-"_It's the circle of life, and it moves us all. Through despair and woe, through growls and roars…_"

The two males laughed hard, their voices loud enough to be heard in the neighboring cages in the ZOO, but Laila was far from being in any way cheerful. Instead, she angrily ripped a bit from her "dry" chunk of beef and swallowed it, later throwing the brothers an irritated rebuke.

-"Ah will ya shut up already! The way you guys act is _unbelievable_! Two grown lions laughing their heads off- nothing like that would ever happen back in Russia! Shut up! I said _SHUT UP! Grrr…_!"

* * *

**AN: Two grown-up guys and a troublesome teenager... The tension is bound to be intense! **

**I know the humor is crude, but it's just life, I guess. So whaddya think? Are the brothers gonna kill the girl or have cubs with her? There is a lot going on in the Lion Walk, but what about Mufasa and Scar's past? And their future as well? All this shall be revealed in the right time, even though I don't know when. So stay watchful XD **


	20. The Kill

***Gore alert***

**This chapter is called 'The Kill', so it's got blood and death in it. You have been warned!**

* * *

**Day 141**

_Breeder's journal._

_Something is wrong. Red and Black seem to be, well, uninterested in the presence of Laila! I mean sure they all tolerate each other, they eat together and sleep in one den. But that's it! There is hardly any friendly physical interaction between the boys and the female, not even speaking of mating. And I thought that the conditions for that were perfect! I ran the routine monthly tests on all three lions last week and everything was just fine. This is why I am concerned and so is the Director- he accuses me of wasting his money as the visitors have already become tired of the new female and their number is comparable with what was before. He also demanded for the live feeding to be reestablished. I wasn't very up to that idea, but when he threatened to fire me if the costs of Laila's relocation don't pay off, I had to agree. Greedy old chump. I just hope the Vet Inspection doesn't find out._

* * *

Laila has calmed down. _A little_. Fortunately, it was enough for Mufasa and Scar to abandon the idea of putting the girl in her place by using more than just vocal requests. Now she was spending her days mostly on entertaining the humans, while the males had time for themselves and a bit more peace.

The day was specifically warm- the sun that had recently melted the snow in the Lion Walk now peeked shyly from behind the white mountains of clouds, sending it's pleasant beams down to earth from time to time. It was the beginning of what the beasts of Europe knew as 'spring'. The two lion brothers were warming themselves upon a large rock, observing lazily as their young attention-seeking cellmate was desperately trying to amuse the few humans who were gazing at her from the other side of the glass wall.

-"She eats so much and still she stays so slim. I suppose it's this constant parading and doing tricks to show off that keeps her so well in her shape" – Mufasa lead out a loud meditation.

-"Well maybe you should try to imitate her, mister _wide rump_?" – Scar couldn't pass a chance to laugh at his brother's _slight_ overweight.

-"_Puh_, easy for you to say! Not everyone has your type of metabolism."

-"True. And those who don't have this magnificent trait should take the effort to exercise, especially if they have as enormous an appetite as _you_, dear brother! Behold- look how our Laila is enjoying herself" – he pointed at the lioness who was at the moment engaged in wild clawing at the transparent wall, growling and baring her teeth, scaring the life out of the human women and children behind it and making the men cheer and desperately check if their cameras' batteries weren't exhausted yet.

-"Nah, I don't feel like it. The day's too pretty" – Mufasa answered, stretching comfortably on the warm stone surface. – "Since you don't need any exercise at all, I suppose you can sympathize with anyone who wants to laze around a bit, now don't you?"

In order to show his brother just how much he sympathized with his laziness, Scar just laid his head down, not even bothering to answer. The two males did nothing but follow Laila with their sight as she was pacing to and thro right in front of the humans in order for them to admire her bodily features and give them a chance to take a few good pictures. Only after an hour or so any of them found himself willing to talk.

-"You think she's ever had any hunting experience?" – Mufasa asked, not quite sure if his brother wasn't asleep. But he wasn't.

-"Ah, there you go again- asking your million questions even though at a different time you swear by our parents' grave that you are in no way interested in that petite princess…" – Scar said without even opening his eyes, but still his face was twisted with a smirk. The older male attempted to flippantly explain himself.

-"I'm only curious about who I'm facing!"

-"_Hm-hm_, right… But yes- that is a good question" – Scar turned down the volume of his voice and shifted the language he was using to African. – "And judging from her delicate built and her lack of agility in all of her senseless pouncing to entertain the bald monkeys, I'd say she's never even killed another animal. That, since she is a lion, makes her kind of pathetic. Not a real carnivore, but a _mzoga mlaji_- a carrion eater."

Mufasa pondered a bit over his brother's words, sending a quick look towards Laila.

-"Hm… _naam, naam_…" – he hummed affirmatively. – "After all, she was born in a ZOO where she spent all of her life…"

And then, suddenly, both the brothers and the female shuddered and lifted up their ears, throwing a glare at the gate to the Lion Walk as a clicking sound came from behind it. Yes, it was indeed high time for dinner- they thought. But when the gate opened with a creak, what came in was not a human zookeeper carrying chunks of meet. Oh no, it was no human at all, and it also did not come in, rather being kicked inside and having the door slammed shut right behind it's back. Both Mufasa and Scar grinned happily, observing that they had just been gifted with a frightened, but still pretty plump and undoubtedly delicious live sheep.

-"Well would you look at that…" – Scar moaned with highest delight. – "How long has it been since we've been given a warm and breathing meal, brother dear?"

-"It must have been… two or three months!" – Mufasa laughed, lifting from the stony lair, salivating intensely and almost ready to pounce.

The humans were almost pressing their noses against the glass wall, cheering out of excitement and awaiting the spectacle that was going to happen. The sheep just stood petrified, not able to say or do anything out of fear, while Laila looked quite startled and stupefied with the unfamiliar situation she was experiencing.

-"Hold it Muffy!" – Scar grabbed his brother by the tail when he was starting his hungry charge at the poor ungulate herbivore.

-"_Rah_! What's up with you, man? I'm hungry!" – growled the older lion, irritated to see the other one's mischievous grin yet again.

-"Oh don't worry your big red head, you'll have your stomach filled! Relax and let yourself be entertained, _hm-hm_…"

After that mysterious chuckle Mufasa sat down, still gazing at him with astonishment. Scar on the other hand addressed the ZOO's lioness.

-"_Oh Lie-lah_!" – he called mockingly. For a while, the female still gazed at the trembling sheep, but then redirected her attention towards the males, addressing them with a troubled tone of her voice.

-"Do you guys know what in the world is going on here? Who would ever put a sheep into a Lion Walk? It doesn't make sense…"

Scar just continued his low silent laugh.

-"_Hm-hm_, oh no my little friend! This makes _perfect_ sense. Doesn't it, brother?"

Mufasa sent him a communicative look of understanding, as the situation was making him curious too.

-"That's right, Laila! Today diner is served a little differently. If you wanna eat it, first you're gonna have to catch it… and kill it, too. This is what we Africans call 'the Circle of Life'."

-"_What_?" – the female frowned and almost shrieked with horror. – "You want me to kill _that_? And how does killing something become a part of this so-called 'Circle of _Life_', anyway? _Uhm_, maybe… I-isn't one of you guys up for the job? I just think I'll pass…" – she muttered, seeing the sheep's desperate stare, becoming more and more frightened with every second.

-"Oh come on Laila, you spoiled princess!" – the brothers whined almost simultaneously, frowning with disappointment to their young cellmate's un-leonine behavior. Making prey await it's end for too long was strongly against savannah etiquette. –"Look at the humans! They're counting on you, waiting to see a vicious huntress!" – they encouraged.

Finally, irritated by the males' obvious sarcasm, Laila adopted a combat pose. With a growl she charged at the sheep, and that was probably the most ridiculous lion growl the world has ever heard. High from their rocky look-out point, Mufasa and Scar started laughing, and so probably would the sheep, only if it wasn't preoccupied with running for it's life. Of course sheep run a lot slower than lions, but Laila wasn't exactly a normal lion. No, she was special- being a youngest daughter and sister, she had been treated like a princess by her family all her life, and now, when she finally had to put in some effort in order to gain something, one could sense just how helpless she was. When she was almost at the sheep's heels, making it through the stream, she slipped at one of the wet rocks and fell into the water with her face, making a large splash. That started a real wave of laughter that came from the lion brothers, and also a gasp of shock from the humans behind the wall. But despite her clumsiness, Laila wasn't a type who would give up easily- infuriated, she got up from the bottom of the stream and with water dripping from her thick, brown fur, ran up to the sheep and pounced at it with the speed of lightning, piercing into it's fleece with her claws and pinning the animal to the ground.

-"_Huh-huh_!" – she panted. – "Okay, what do I do now?"

-"Kill it! Grab it by the throat!" – yelled the males, truly amazed by her lack of hunting instincts. Little did they know that even the human spectators were shouting the same things, only in their own language. In the meantime, the sheep lifted a miserable uproar, having been caught in a death grab and not being put to death.

-"Meeercy! Meeercy!" – it begged, making Laila feel pretty bad and compassionate for the poor helpless creature.

-"Kill it! _Kill it _already! Oh for crying out loud, it's only a piece of meat!" – Mufasa and Scar were wearing out their throats with disappointment and despair. Laila felt awful. She didn't know what to do- the sheep looked so innocent…

-"Meeercy! Meeercy! Or just finish meee off, you mockery of a feeeline!"

And then, it's innocence disappeared. After being insulted, Laila let go of all her delicateness, snarling furiously and attempting to bite at the sheep's neck as payback. But her attack was yet again a very unsuccessful and inexperienced one.

-"Bite the windpipe! The _windpipe_! Go for the throat, not the nape! _Ohhh_!" – Mufasa and Scar covered their faces with their paws. The prey was now being more mutilated than actually suffocated, it's inapt butcher having severe difficulties with getting a good grip. Finally, after a few extremely unpleasant minutes, the sheep silenced and fell to the ground. The brothers jumped down from the rock, the until-recently excited humans silenced, awaiting a feast scene. The rookie huntress herself stood aside breathing deeply, her muzzle stained with blood and bearing the expression of self-dissapointment.

-"That was the most… horrible thing I have ever done in my life!" – she uttered.

-"That was the most horrible thing I have seen in my life!" – Mufasa rebuked her angrily as if he was schooling a clumsy cub. – "Have you ever even killed another animal?"

-"Uh, yes, actually. Once I killed… A pigeon. I stepped at it, I mean… it was unintentional!"

-"It's still alive…" – Scar mumbled, tapping the sheep's head and gazing at the fading light in it's eyes as it gasped in agony. The female frowned with awe. And then the black-maned male broke the animal's neck with a forceful smite of his paw.

The brothers gave Laila a long, meaningful stare. She felt crushed and humiliated- all of her lofty behavior and showing off turned out to be nothing but the outer mask of a weak and insecure character…

-"Suddenly, I lost my appetite" – Scar snarled dryly and turned on the heel to leave.

-"Seems like it's all yours, _princess_" – Mufasa also threw her a punishing remark. The female just stood there, observing the maimed sheep, the first real kill in her entire life. She had absolutely no idea what was she supposed to do now. The people had gone away. Mufasa also already disappeared inside the den. Only Scar took a moment to turn around and give her the last piece of his mind.

-"Eat it while it's warm, you've earned it. I'm sure the meat will be far less _dry_ than any carrion you've ever had before. Just remember this, little lioness- the world doesn't turn for you alone. You still have a lot to learn, but if you cooperate with us, you might profit well from this cohabitation. All you need to do is to behave yourself well. Understand?"

* * *

**AN: More trouble with the female… Is she ever gonna get used to living with Mufasa and Scar? They are trying to use her selfishness against her to teach her a lesson. As I said before, this is no 'Madagascar' crossover, even though Laila is kind of like a more awkward version of Alex. But still, there is no chance she'd make friends with prey- that is just ridiculous. I love to imagine TLK characters in hunting situations, don't you? XD**


	21. A Murder of Crows

**Day 149**

_Breeder's journal._

_I've noticed no agression, but also no courtship behavior in the Lion Walk whatsoever. The Director kept threatening me with saying that he's gonna fire me if Laila doesn't have cubs soon. What could I do? I just told him that in that case I'd have to be morally obliged to call my acquaintances in the Vet Inspection and express to them my worries about how the lions are treated, about the illegal live feeding etc. And that the fee for this would be sky-high. That shut him up, at least for now. As for the lions, I still have no idea what is wrong. Perhaps the boys, who were born in the wild after all, consider a female that has been brought up in captivity to be irrelevant for a mate? But how can they even sense the difference? I guess they just need more time._

* * *

Mufasa was spending his time gazing at Scar and Laila. Both of his cellmates were lying in the morning sun a fair distance away from one another, but it was interesting to see just how similar a ritual were they both exercising. Namely, they were grooming their fur- carefully, precisely, taking all the time they needed to make themselves look well, at least in their own eyes. To them, it was the most important of their morning chores. To Mufasa, it was a waste of time and just plain boring. With a grunt, he rolled the whole mass of his body over to his back. Though it was kind of hard for him to admit it, he gained quite a lot of weight during his stay in Europe. No longer was he burdened with having to patrol the vast plains of his kingdom. No longer did he have to hunt for food or fend off different kinds of scavengers. No longer could he play with his little son… He had little to do and a lot to eat, so it was natural that after being relieved from his kingly duties, he was now loaded with extra body mass. He took another look at Scar and Laila. _Hmm, indeed, those two managed to stay slim no matter how much they ate… Well, it's just a nature's gift, probably_- he thought_. _

Bored and passionless, Mufasa redirected his sight to gaze straight up at the clear spring sky. The birds have been slowly reappearing, and now the lion could observe whole flocks of pigeons, crows, seagulls, gees and whatever other winged creatures soaring high above his head freely, heading towards the homes they'd left behind… As he watched them fly in their orderly formations and counted those who decided to sit down and rest at the branches of the walk's sixteen pines, he could not escape from a certain thought that still possessed his attention. And a certain name that he called louder and louder in his mind with every day…

_Anya the stork._

_She said her journey would take six months. That was more than four months ago. If what she said was true, she should be on her way back to Europe now. And my family in the Pridelands should already know that Scar and I are still alive…_

_If it was true. If it was only true…_

Emerged in his thoughts, sailing among the uncertain sea of his dreams and hopes, Mufasa absentmindedly observed the birds. Upon the tree that was closest to him, there sat a murder of crows- dark, grim creatures that were totally spoiling the mood of the sunny morning with their chorus of dreary croaking. But one of them was different- displayed upon a thick branch as a king upon a throne, large in his pitch-black physique, dressed in a coat of his own magnificent wings, pointing down towards the lion with his sharp beak and his small, shining obsidian eyes.

That was no crow at all. It was a raven.

Scar and Laila flinched, momentarily breaking away from their hygienic procedures after hearing a vicious roar behind their backs. And when they turned around, they were even more shocked to see the until-recently seemingly sleeping Mufasa ascending a nearby tree with the speed of a young leopard. The whole 250 kilos of him climbed the trunk in the blink of an eye. It looked as if he was really after something that hid among the branches- something that was so unprepared for his attack that it failed to make a swift run for it's life. Totally startled and even a little impressed, the two spectators could witness Mufasa basing himself over the surface of the tree with his hind legs and his sharp claws, and then leaping effectively towards his prey. In the nick of time, he was still able to clasp his jaws and grab the bird by it's tail as it tried to fly away with horror of the deadly charge pointed in it's direction. Grasping the raven in his jaws, Mufasa fell from as high as three stories to the ground, but despite his size was able to do it with enough agility as to not hurt himself. On the contrary- a second later, when the cloud of dust fell down, Scar and Laila saw their older cellmate holding the one he'd captured by the wings pinned to the ground as the predator growled at him with bared fangs and blood-shot eyes.

-"_Moses_! You have the guts to come here again, even after such a long time! But soon you will regret that when I rip those guts of yours out for lying to me, you croaking deceiver…"

The bird flinched under his crushing embrace, too terrified to act. When Scar, extremely curious, approached the struggling pair, he saw that indeed the one who his brother was holding was their former majordomo. The black-maned feline laughed silently.

-"_Heh-heh_, well what do you know, an old _friend_ decided to visit us! How are you doing, Moses?"

The question was a clear mockery- Scar cold perfectly see exactly how was the raven doing, about to be ripped to pieces by the enraged giant who was prisoning him between his muscular paws. After he didn't get an answer, the lion came up to his brother and patted him on the shoulder.

-"Let him go, Mufasa."

-"_Rah_! I do not intend to do that! Not after what he's done! He deserves punishment."

Scar sighed.

-"_Uh_, there we go again… Okay, I'm speaking to _Mister Righteous _now- do you really consider lying to be a crime punishable by death?"

-"Lying to a _king is_ punishable by death!" – snarled the redhead. His brother sighed even deeper, rolled his eyes and turned his head with grave disappointment. In the meantime, Laila, greatly concerned about the whole commotion, sat nearby and decided to add her opinion as well.

-"Get a grip, 'Fasa! Sheesh, you can't just be going around killing creatures! For goodness' sake, look at'em- he's helpless!"

All six pairs of eyes were now pointed at Moses. Truly, the bird was helpless- Mufasa could both kill him and let him go at any second. This was the first time that the lions saw a bird shake so forcefully…

-"Right, and what should I do with him?" – Mufasa spat at them irritably, feeling embarrassed about letting his anger take control over him yet again. – "I can't just let him fly away without suffering any consequences for his crime!"

-"Is he not suffering the consequences right now?" – Scar said to him in a firmer tone. – "Just let him speak and explain himself- I suppose he still can talk, can't he?"

The oldest feline in the walk lead out a prolonged growl. He hated times like these- when his brother contradicted him and used his cleverness to make him do something opposite to what he initially wanted. But why was Scar doing this? Not out of care or kindness as was the case with Laila, obviously. This cat again made him wonder about how could one benefit in not putting Moses the False Prophet to death. Or was Scar doing this just for the fun of contradicting the former king of the Pridelands? Malice and sarcasm mixed inside him so often that it was simply close to impossible to know for sure.

-"_Fine!"_ – Mufasa uttered finally. Taking his time to show his reluctance, he rose to sit, taking his paws off of the raven's wings. Moses breathed with relief, but was afterwards surrounded by two other lions, what made an escape attempt virtually impossible. As he massaged his aching joints, he was becoming very conscious of the fact that now came the hour for him to explain himself.

* * *

**AN: Moses is back? Now what kind of report does he have this time? It better be good if he wants to see the light of another day... Am I alone in thinking that Muffy has got an anger management problem?**


	22. Moses' Second Report

**Day 149**

-"Laila, allow me to introduce" - Scar decided to enlighten the female after seeing her totally startled expression. - "This is Moses the raven, our former majordomo."

-"Your former _what_?" – she asked, expressing that she was still able to show even deeper levels of startled-ness.

-"_Uh_, let's just say he was our _messenger_, okay? We used to use this winged rodent to send and receive information all round the ZOO. Until he turned out to be a _liar_, that is."

-"Well what did he lie to you about?"

-"_Hm-hm_, why doesn't Mufasa reveal this one to you?"

Mufasa was still busy with piercing Moses with the haughty stare of an insulted monarch.

-"No, Scar. I suppose it's high time for our _false prophet_ to confess his sins to us personally! Isn't that right, Moses?" – the big feline inquired, stabbing the raven with one of his claws delicately to encourage him to speak. For a second Moses hesitated, baring a fearful and anxious frown of him beak, but later swallowed and attempted to stammer at least a few words to explain himself and maybe save his life.

-"Y-you've got it wrong, guys… I mean no! You're right, I lied, I confess! Darn it, could ya please stop growling at me like that? It really scares the crap out of me… True, I bluffed to you, Muffy, and I'm sorry. You trusted me and I blew it all. But ya have to believe I did it all in good faith! Ya know, you two got stolen away from Africa, locked in a tight cage… Anyone would consider that a hellish situation! And ya gotta admit that you did feel a little down and depressed, especially you, Muffy! I ain't saying this to mock you! I was really concerned- you made me your majordomo, fed me, kind of became my friends, and I didn't want to see you suffer!"

-"One does not gain consolation from being fed with made up stories!" – Mufasa interrupted him angrily.

-"Yeah, sure you're right, and I'm sorry! I really am! I had no idea how much this whole religious business is important to you. So the truth is all animals do not believe that their dead ancestors reside in the sky as stars. I made that up just to support the hope you drain from this belief. Each species have their own specific theories about whether there is a natural balance, a supreme being or any kind of afterlife. Monkeys, for example, are mostly Mahayana Buddhists. A lot of carnivores worship Gaia or Mother Earth, apart from reptiles who are very likely to be atheists. Penguins pray to their own supreme giant penguin-shaped ice-god. While us birds believe in a place above the clouds called Sugarcandy Mountain…"

-"Are you even getting anywhere?" – yet again, Mufasa became irritated with Moses' nervous babble.

-"Yes! _Uhm_, I mean… Ah, I know that making up stories is a crappy way to cheer somebody up. I thought you would never know… You have no idea how stupid I felt when you chased me away…"

The raven was unconscious that what he was saying had no real value to any of the lions that were surrounding him. His desperate attempts to apologize were futile as far as he did not say the only thing that Mufasa primarily, but Scar also along with him, wanted to find out. Moses did notice the raising boredom and irritation in his interlocutors' glares, but if they did not enlighten him, he would just keep on talking rubbish until they'd just kill him to shut him up.

-"I suppose we've all had enough of that" – Scar finally decided to say something himself and lead the conversation to the right tracks. – "Moses, take my advice and close your beak before you dig a grave for yourself with yapping it. What my brother wants to hear is whether you lied about the matter with the stork. I'm sure you remember what I'm talking about."

For a moment, the raven went numb and just looked around, stunned and speechless. He gazed into the depth of Scar's grim, emerald stare. Then he redirected his sight towards Laila's curious, hazel iris. Finally, he stood before the rising above him Mufasa, who was piercing him with an expecting look of his amber eyes.

-"Oooh, you wanna hear about _that_!" – he yelled almost cheerfully, as if he snapped out of some weary trance. Then he continued confidently – "I might have said a few things that weren't exactly true, but my concern about you guys is as sincere as it gets! I really did wear off my wings to find a stork that headed near your home parts of Africa and I was more than happy when I came across Anya. Yeah, she was real. She did fly to Africa and I'm sure she did her best to find your family and pass to them all the messages you gave her. I _swear_ it's the truth, I swear by everything that's sacred, by the earth and sky, heck I even swear by my own raven head! Really guys, I'm not all that false. Muffy, Scar-face- please, you gotta believe me."

The bird frowned with a sense of desperation seeing the lions as they were meditating over what he just said. Mufasa was the first one to speak, still not looking very convinced.

-"So where is Anya now? Has she found the Pridelands?"

Moses gulped.

-"Uh… sorry, but I just don't have a clue about that. When she flew off that day we all met it was the last time when I saw her myself. But judging from what she told us, I suppose she should be on her way back to Europe at the moment… and if we do see her again, it's gonna be in about…" – the bird counted swiftly in his mind. – "… six or seven weeks?"

-"That I already know" – Mufasa sighed, turning his troubled head. And then he addressed his younger brother. – "What do you think, Scar? Since you're supposed to be the _smart_ one, you be the judge of this case. Is Moses lying or is he telling the truth?"

All eyes were on the lion with the scar, while his eyes rested on the raven. There was no emotion in his outer appearance. Only a short moment of wonderment before he gave his firm statement.

-"He's telling the truth."

Moses breathed deeply, feeling relieved of his very serious death threat. Mufasa smiled.

-"Oh he knows he better be! Don't you, my majordomo?" – the lion tapped the bird with a paw, making him shake his head strongly in affirmation. – "But since you're here, tell us something more. Why did you come back? We haven't seen you for months. Were you scared? What made you decide to fight your fear and return here, then?"

Moses jumped up, as if suddenly remembering something very important.

-"Ooh, ooh! Right, clumsy me, I almost forgot! I wanted to tell you about a certain recent event in the ZOO that you might find as specifically interesting, if you know what I mean."

-"No, we don't know what you mean, now talk!" – Scar snapped at him, not very pleased with the bird's mysterious grin. When it came to mysterious grins in the Lion Walk, Scar had the monopoly. And besides, he was also quite curious.

-"Okay, okay! So imagine that the other day, the humans bring a new inhabitant to the institution. A wild brown bear- caught in some forest far away. So they throw him inside a cage with three others of his kind that have gotten used to living in captivity years ago. Now get this- the bear starts acting really bad after being locked up. He doesn't eat, beats up his cellmates, all in all becomes a threat for himself and everything around him. Finally, he attacks one of the humans. Now guess what the bald monkeys did to him afterwards?" – Moses did not get more of an answer than just three expecting stares, so at once he continued his discourse. – "They took him away! Back to where he came from! Get it? The humans considered that the bear wasn't able to get used to living in a cage, so they just released him back into his natural habitat. Now I know that this might sound crazy… but what if you guys try a similar trick? I ain't talking real brutality… Just, you know, acting like you can't stand living here? Who knows, maybe the balds would want to send you back to Africa if you tried real hard? _Uh_… I mean, you know… It's only a suggestion…"

The raven silenced, seeing the disbelief that was slowly showing in Mufasa's expression.

-"No, I don't really suspect this would work" – said the lion rather reluctantly. – "We've already been here for too long, to the humans it must seem that we're doing just fine living in custody. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Moses. Keep your eyes and ears open- who knows, maybe one day you will find something that will be more likely to be helpful. For now, I want to hear the news. With you away, we didn't have the chance to contact the other animals in the ZOO, so I guess you have a lot to tell us, haven't you?"

Firstly saddened by having his plan considered as futile, now the bird lightened up, experiencing that he was still found to be useful. When he was about to start relating all the recent events to Mufasa, suddenly Scar halted his enthusiasm, not very interested in what he had to say.

-"Excuse me as I depart. I'm sure all that has been happening in the institution is simply _stunning_, but somehow I don't feel very concerned about it. Come, Laila- I can see in the look of your eyes that your mind is quite far from being able to comprehend everything that has been said during this conversation. Follow me to the den if you wish, I'll explain it to you."

The girl felt a little awkward with having the ignorance she was trying to hide revealed in such an obvious way. She intended to ask the males about their relations with Moses later, but since Scar decided to save her the effort, she followed him like an obedient pupil follows a teacher. Thus Mufasa and Moses were left alone, and the bird cleared his throat to deliver his very late morning report.

-"Right! Now where do I start… Well, first of all, I suppose you would want to know that Amanda's cubs, Shem, Ham and Japheth are doing just fine. They are already as big as I am able to stretch my wings, you know! I found out that both her and Leonidas have asked other birds about you guys, but I guess none of them had the guts to actually talk to you, _heh-heh_… Anyways, I also heard Leo was _very_ interested when he learned about the new lioness in the institution! While Magnus, the leader of the wolves…"

And so he went on until late in the evening. This was one of the few days when Mufasa felt that things weren't as hopeless as he was sometimes tempted to think.

* * *

**AN: It's good... but still not as good as it could be! So Moses kind of redeemed himself from being considered as totally untrustworthy and the brothers have something to actually wait for. But will it happen? Will they find out what's going on at home- on the other side of the globe? And if they do, will it be good news? And what'll happen later? **

**R&R people! Let me know if you like what's going on and what are your expectations XD**


	23. Y U no text me back?

**Day 182**

_Breeder's journal._

_The Director has been srangely silent for some time. I suspect he's planning something that concerns my job at the ZOO, but for now I don't have any proof. I am prepared to call the Vet Inspection whenever it becomes necessary, however._

* * *

-"Laila?" – Scar called her with a delicate, sarcastic smile.

Not very keen to respond, the lioness took a few seconds to wait, but couldn't stand the male's annoying stare.

-"_Yes_?" – she groaned with aversion.

-"How are you feeling today?" – asked the lion as a grin appeared upon his face.

Laila sighed. She hated when he did that, but simply couldn't find a way to make him stop.

-"_Fine_" – she uttered flippantly just to get him off her tail and turned her head away. But it was futile. From the spot he was lying, Scar still had a clear shot in order to play a very enjoyed game of his- throwing small bitts of bone at the female, taking the pale dot of creamy fur on her forehead as his target. The bit he threw after she said '_fine_' hit pretty close- just an inch above her eye.

-"_Quit it_!" – she ordered, visibly irritated. But seeing how he successfully annoyed her only made Scar put his paw back on the ground and chuckle with malicious joy.

-"_Heh-heh_… Laila? How are you feeling today?" – he asked probably about the fifteenth time. It made the female sigh, totally exhausted.

-"_Uhh_… better with every second…"

-"That's good!" – the black-maned male laughed yet again.

Laila has learned a lot since she was first brought to Mufasa and Scar's ZOO. Mostly it was how not to irritate the older and stronger males- because when it came to being irritating, they had come to a far more supreme level of mastery. _Especially_ Scar. The girl soon found out that these two males were nothing like her family- they were of royal blood, deeply reluctant to adjust their lifestyle to the cravings of as young and inexperienced lioness as herself. So after coping with the fact that she had been taken away from her homeland for good and probably made to stay with the brothers for quite a long period of time, she decided she rather be the humble one than the humiliated one. Laila kept silent, more open to listen to the brothers than to speak herself, even though on many occasions they would still ask her to reveal a little more about her life. And even though she greatly enjoyed their stories concerning what had been happening in distant Africa, she didn't miss a single occasion to describe just how her former environment looked like. Laila really loved her family- the brothers could observe just how much joy she expressed when she remembered them, when she described her father as he held her in his strong embrace, letting her nuzzle into his thick, warm, almost entirely black mane. And also the indelible smile upon Laila's face when she talked about her mother, not a very large, pale-furred lioness, and her delicate yet firm voice with which she would call her and her brothers to dinner. The female also had two older male siblings, and even though it was clear that her parents' attention was redirected to their daughter when she was born what made the boys a little jealous, still their relations had mostly been friendly. What doesn't mean that sometimes Laila didn't have to fight them to get what she deserved… For Mufasa and Scar she might have looked meager and not very strong, but that wasn't quite true. For a lion born and brought up solely in captivity, she was a good fighter, not very swift, but still quite skilled in the use of what her muscles provided her with. On some occasions the brothers liked to organize a play fight, what was typical leonine behavior and something that would amuse the ZOO's visitors a lot, and sometimes they also let Laila take part in the game. After few such wrestling matches Mufasa gained a newfound respect for the girl, while Scar, to his great displeasure learning that his physical strength was comparable with hers, adopted a habit in constantly searching for a way to annoy her just for the fun of it.

-"Oh _Lie-lah_…" – a smooth, mocking voice called yet again. – "How are you feeling today? _Heh-heh_…"

-"Ah shut up!" - the girl, having enough of Scar's nonsense, sprung up to her feet and ran at to him with a warning growl. Immediately the male took a defensive pose, even though his outer smirk of mischief didn't change in the least.

-"_Here, kitty kitty… look out for my paws, my needle-sharp claws. Don't let them scar you, pretty…_" – he sung this rhyme that he'd arranged in his mind earlier only to bring her to a new level of irritation.

-"_Ugh_!" – she groaned, not sure if she should attack and sentence herself to spoiling two hours of precise grooming of her fur, or just try to ignore him since she couldn't think of any appropriate riposte. But then both Laila and Scar put an end to their silly behavior, hearing Mufasa whining in the distance.

-"Will you two cut it off! All day long you do nothing but scream and run around the whole walk without a reason. What is up with you guys today?"

Strange. Mufasa wasn't usually concerned with their games, no matter how outrageous they were. Most of the times he even played along with them himself. But today the oldest lion in the ZOO acted differently- the night before Scar saw him gazing at the clear starry sky, probably speaking to the ancestors. Since the break of dawn, Mufasa has been pretty much doing the same constantly- lying on the ground with his eyes glancing towards the azure firmament. When Moses came to deliver his morning report, it seemed as if he just had some especially important message for his majordomo, but actually the raven was dismissed unusually fast and the lion continued gazing somewhere high above his head. That was because Moses wasn't the one whom Mufasa was waiting for.

Right now he was lying near their calendar tree- the one upon which's bark Scar has been carving notches since the first day they were brought to the Lion Walk. Feeling curious, the younger brother approached him with Laila soon following. They saw that Mufasa was looking somewhat meditatively, gazing at the notches with his amber eyes covered with a mist of sorrow.

-"How many?" – Scar asked him this typical question which they shared every day, passionless on the outside, yet the young female could not drop the impression that he did that out of some kind of concern for his brother. Mufasa just sighed and turned his head to face them.

-"One hundred and eighty-two" – he whispered plainly, then putting up his paw in order to deepen one specific notch upon the bark, seemingly out of boredom. But Scar recognized that notch- he knew which day it represented and why exactly was it so special.

-"You're waiting for the stork, aren't you?" – he asked dryly. Or at least attempting to dress his voice in this dry tone, as Laila thought. It took a while for Mufasa to answer.

-"Yes, I am…"

-"Well let's take a look at that tree, shall we? This big cut over here, which one is it? The twenty-fourth, that's right. A long time has passed since I carved it, ey? Though I suppose you can clearly remember that day. After all, it was the day when Moses introduced us to that other bird… what was her name? Ah yes, _Anya_. And can you remember what she said when you asked her how long is it going to take for her to travel to Africa and back again? She said the journey is going to last half a year. Now let's do a little math. Laila- listen carefully and do try to catch up. So half a year is six months, what divides into about one hundred and eighty days. The day when the stork started her trip was day twenty-four. Twenty-four plus half a year, that is one hundred and eighty days as we have just been able to estimate, make a total sum of two hundred and four days. And today is not day two hundred and four. Today is day one hundred and eighty-two, or at least you just said it is."

Mufasa wasn't sure if Scar was trying to make fun of him or not. Once again it was one of those unbearable moments when he just couldn't tell.

-"Anya said her trip would take _about_ half a year" – he said to justify his waiting and show that such strict calculations were useless. But Scar preferred to trust in his strict calculations.

-"It's still too early, brother. Now quit staring at the sky like a fool."

Then the younger male just turned around and left, probably intending to go to sleep in the den, what was definitely his most favorite occupation. Mufasa and Laila were left alone, silent for a while. But there was still something inside the female's mind that she couldn't let go of.

-"'Fasa" – she addressed her older cellmate. – "Can I ask you a question?"

-"Oh sure you can, Laila" – even though he would prefer to be left alone to his meditations, his words were calm and polite.

-"You see, there's this thing I've been wondering about. You once told me that your brother used to have a mate and cubs, but that later one of them died."

-"Scar severed his contacts with Sarafina and Nala after Mheetu's death" – Mufasa interrupted, going ahead of Laila's thoughts in order to spare her the awkwardness of asking more questions on the matter. But she did not feel awkward at all.

-"Yes, I figured that one out. But then you told me that when Moses brought to you this stork who was supposed to send messages to your pride in Africa, Scar decided to contact his ex-mate in the last minute. Well, I was thinking- do you suppose that he's really as impatient about the return message from Africa as you are, only that he's simply too proud to show it? He's such a cold and cynical lion… I just can't believe it's the very core of him."

Mufasa was silent for a while. This was a question he'd been asking himself many times, but it was impossible for him to look into his brother's thoughts. Scar's mind was just too complicated a system to unlock it from the outside. It has become more and more complex throughout the years, and was still something Scar kept solely to himself.

-"I don't know, Laila. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I just hope there will be anything to see at all…"

* * *

**AN: I wanted to say one thing- I am really impressed with how much popularity does this little tale of mine still have! I am especially surprised by the large number of favs & follows for which I am particularly thankful. You keep having fun with this story even despite my poor vocabulary and amateur writing skills- that's a mega big motivation to go on and continue! There is still more than a handful of chapters ahead of us, so I will try my best to keep you people satisfied XD.**

**Now to what concerns this chapter. Do you know that frustrating feeling when you await an answer to your message? I bet you do, but think that with a cell phone in takes a few days at it's large mostly, while when it comes to storks, it takes at least six long months. So no wonder that Mufasa, Scar and Laila are somewhat concerned, each of them in his own way. So how does this waiting end? Well, just wait for yourselves if you wish to find out XD.**


	24. The Answer

**Day 200**

_Breeder's journal._

_Well, truth be told, I don't know if I should still consider myself a lion breeder, since the Director called me to his office in the morning and told me that I am fired. All he said to explain was that since my wards haven't started a family, the Cape Lion Restoration Project has turned out to be a total fiasco and that my ideas made the ZOO suffer serious financial losses. We'll see about that. As soon as I put my pen down, I'm on my way to the Vet Inspection department. After clearing out my desk at the lab I also took a few files concerning the less legal activities of Mister Director and I'm sure they'll be very interested with it._

_I have also gone to the Lion Walk today to say goodbye to Red, Black and Laila. I just hope that we'll see each other soon._

* * *

_Kunisaidia, baba yangu… kunisaidia…_

For the past few days, Mufasa wasn't seen in a different position than either sitting on lying on the ground with his eyes directed towards the sky. As he was gazing upwards, mouthing the words of the old lion prayer soundlessly, his two cellmates were becoming more and more convinced that the former king was slowly starting to lose his mind.

-"Do you think the stork is ever gonna show up?" – Laila addressed Scar, who was resting beside her on the same rock. The black-maned feline just rolled his eyes.

-"_Hmf_! How am I supposed to know? It's still too early, anyway…"

-"Well, aren't you waiting to hear from Africa as well?"

He wondered. He knew the feelings inside his heart, but he needed a moment to think of a way to properly express what he wanted to say.

-"I'm not sure if there will be anything to hear. And I certainly do not intend to torture myself with petty hope, just like my brother does."

Laila lowered her head sadly. She felt the tension raising inside the Lion Walk with each day, and yet she was unable to help her male cellmates in any way. They have both become silent, possessed by apathy, each of them showing his unrest in his own specific way- Mufasa openly and externally, Scar secretly, by delicate hints showing from under his outer cynicism. But Laila was a female, and that made her naturally sensitive when it came to another's emotions.

New squadrons of birds passed by above the ZOO with every hour- orderly formations of flying creatures in all the shapes and sizes, returning to their homes after the cold months have gone away. Once in a while, there appeared also a family of storks- and those were the times when Mufasa's prayer increased in it's volume from soundless to spoken in a loud, trembling voice.

_Kunisaidia, baba yangu! Kunisaidia!_

But the birds would just pass by, unaffected. This made Mufasa become more and more anxious, Scar become more and more weary, and Laila feel more and more helpless.

The female snapped out of a short, unintended nap, only to notice that the younger male was sound asleep by her side. The older one on the other hand was still piercing the sky with the stare of his eyes. Laila yawned, and then looked up herself. It seemed as if another group of birds were coming their way- as they were approaching, she recognized them to be four quite large white animals with long, red beaks.

Storks.

Mufasa rose to sit. Laila could immediately hear the words of his request that he addressed the heavens with, and he was so filled with emotion that she could almost hear his beating heart accompanying the prayer.

_Kunisaidia, baba yangu!_

_Help me, my father!_

She knew what those words meant, but what she didn't know was if they would ever take any effect. Greatly curious, she glared at the four birds. For a while, they just flew straight ahead together, side by side, not spoiling the order of their airborne formation. But then…

One of them suddenly separated from the group. And started lowering it's altitude.

_Asante, baba! Thank you!_

-"_SCAR_!" – Laila cried out loudly, possessed by leaping joy and excitement. The younger male raised his head, at first angry for being awaken from his slumber, but when he saw an old stork landing on a branch of one of the trees in the Lion Walk, his eyes went wide and he restrained the growl that was already forming in his throat.

Mufasa made a few awkward paces and sat under the tree.

-"Anya…" – he gasped with deepest amazement. – "Is it really you?"

As a proof that she wasn't just a mirage, the bird unfolded her large wings, covering the light of the sun, and then made a profound bow.

-"_Karibu Mufasa, kubwa Mfalme Simba! Karibu Taka aitwaye Kovu, mtukufu Kifalme Ndugu!_"

She greeted them in a formal manner using the African sacred language, addressing them with their regal titles- '_Welcome Mufasa, great Lion King! Welcome Taka called Scar, noble Royal Brother!_'. But even despite her formal tone, she still sounded and looked very happy to finally see the brothers again, after almost six months of time.

The human visitors of the ZOO standing on the other side of the Lion Walk's glass wall could see perfectly just how happy the lions were. Well, at least Mufasa and Laila, who started pouncing around like little cubs in the savanna in celebration, making the people wonder about what exactly were they doing. Scar kept most of his excitement to himself, as usual, but he couldn't help not to come and sit right at the bottom of the tree on which Anya was positioned, waiting for the cheerful wave of happiness to finish before starting her tale. Also the younger male soon started to whip the dirt with his tail and grunt with irritation, indicating that it was high time for Mufasa and Laila to shut up and listen to what the stork had to say. And so the three lions sat beside one another, their eyes shining and mouths wide open in anticipation. Then the old bird upon the branch cleared her throat and began.

* * *

-"I do have a lot to say and I hope I will not miss anything, so let me just start from the beginning- it will be easier that way.

Half a year ago, when we departed, I didn't have much doubt that I would be able to travel to Africa safely along with my family. After all, we've been taking the same air route each year since as far as I can remember. And indeed- the eight weeks of our travel there went by in a flash, and soon we were observing the beautiful, snow-dressed summit of Mount Kilimanjaro appearing in the horizon. Being frank with you, we took our time before leaving to find the Pridelands, because you have to understand that nesting and preparing an overall set of living conditions was a priority and took me and my mate a moon or so. But all in all, eventually we decided to try and accomplish our mission. Since our two sons are already adults, we weren't afraid to abandon them for some time. As I have told you before, I'd already been to the Pridelands when I was young- this was the place my mate took me to propose himself to me. On our way to the area east of Kilimanjaro, we were helping each other in remembering the right track, but after five days of journey we finally saw what we were after- the wide fertile plains of the Pridelands.

You can be sure that both food and water are still plentiful in your kingdom, Mufasa. Me and my mate admired the landscape as we flew towards the magnificent and legendary Pride Rock- and all the legends I have heard cannot fully describe how that place really looks like in the midday African sun… This is where we met the pride. _Your_ pride, that is- your family of lions. Of course at first they were quite startled to see that a pair of old storks had matters they wanted to discuss… Immediately, the females called for the Queen. Yes, Mufasa- I understand your longing for this magnificent and wise lioness. When we were brought to face her, with a first glance we could sense the regal strength and motherly kindness in her. She'd been the only ruler of the land since your apprehension and everyone we asked on the way said that she was doing not worse a job than her mate, the great king Mufasa. The Queen never took another male- I remember she told me she'd considered it, and she said it with a lot of guilt in her voice, but later firmly decided to discard such plans.

So Sarabi called for all the pride to gather, and we stood in their midst in front of the Queen and her juvenile son, prince Simba. Let me just tell you that your heir is also a beautiful young lion, already taller than I am, with the first signs of a mane that bares the same color of his father's showing on his head and neck. Sarabi is teaching him well- I suppose it will only take a year or so before Simba becomes the Lion King himself. I must say the Prince is very eager to relieve his mother from all her duties as monarch…

But let me get back to our audience with Sarabi. At first, as was to be expected, she was very cautious and careful in believing that we were sent by her kidnapped mate. She demanded us to give her proof, so we described both you and your brother to the smallest detail- your looks, your moves, your style of speaking… Totally amazed, the Queen finally told us to continue our relation. We told her everything you wanted us to say- about your abduction by the humans, about your difficult relocation to Europe, about the ZOO… Everything. I used the specific words you yourself said, Mufasa- that you are safe along with your brother with enough food and water, but that you can't find a way to come back home. I suppose that this is the moment when Sarabi started crying… She believed my assurance that you were alive, even though she was sure to never hear of you again. I was just sorry I could only bring her your words and not you in person…

Then I addressed prince Simba, again delivering your message to him. _Your father wants to tell you that he loves you with all his heart, and that he always will_- I said. That you strongly believe he is going to be a great king… Despite his age, feeling so deeply touched, the Prince also couldn't fight the urge to cry. He hugged his mother tightly, and then I said what you wanted to announce to your whole pride- that you do not even permit them to worry, that they should stay strong and be sure that whenever they direct their eyes towards the stars at night, you will also be looking at the same stars. I cannot find a proper way to describe how happy they were to hear that. They had enlisted a great amount of trust in you, Your Majesty… It was a tremendous relief for them to find out that you were alive!"

* * *

**AN: To be continued…**


	25. The Answer II

**Day 200**

Mufasa was listening to Anya's story carefully, with happiness and emotion growing in his heart with every word. By the end of her discourse, he ceased to hide his tears of joy. It was simply futile since he felt as if he'd regained his whole life- it's light, it's point and it's purpose. His family was alive. The ones he loved were doing just fine, and now they knew what had happened and that he was alive as well. The lion just couldn't express how happy he was to hear that Simba was preparing to become king… and, naturally, that Sarabi decided not to take another mate despite being considered a widow for quite some time. He was proud of both of them, and was waiting with highest thrill to hear what kind of an answer did his family send him.

Standing in front of her audience of three eager lions, Anya the stork rearranged a few loose feathers of her wing with her long red beak. Then she smiled.

-"Oh Your Majesty, I'm sure you know exactly what your family wanted me to announce to you! First of all, each and every one of your pridemembers is inexpressively happy to know that you are alive. Queen Sarabi called for a general assembly of all the animals of the Pridelands in order to spread the good news and that everyone could celebrate along with the lions.

As for the Queen herself… well, first of all she sincerely thanks you for sending her this message. And she also ensures you of her unbroken fidelity and her everlasting love. I remember the shine in her brown eyes when she was speaking this pledge, Your Highness… As a female I can assure you- what she said was nothing but the truth. She also swore to take good care of the Pridelands and to rule them according to the law of the Old Kings until Simba becomes big enough for his coronation. With a smile on her face she beseeched me to tell you not to worry- that the Prince is now more responsible and not as mischievous as he used to be when he was a little cub. While Simba himself sends nothing but this- _dad, you're great. I love you. And we will be palls forever, no matter where you are._

Your subjects also bring you words of praise and respect, especially the mandrill shaman Rafiki, and also your former majordomo hornbill. His name was Zazu, wasn't it? Yes. Yes, I believe I memorized everything as well as I was able. Sarabi also promised to look at the stars every night and asked you to do the same- this way you can feel the connection between you that has not been severed despite your abduction. _Sisi ni moja_- she said. And she is also looking forward to hearing from you next rain season. On my own behalf, I just wanted to say that both me, my mate and my sons are at your service, king Mufasa."

The bird bowed before the lion who was lying on the ground unspeakably happy, with his eyes red and the fur on his face wet from tears of pure joy. The plan had worked out perfectly. Anya had done her job commendably well and now, looking at her, Mufasa was trying to think of a way in which he could ever repay her. Because, as a member of royalty, he felt obliged to pay the debt he now had incurred with her. Breaking away from his overwhelming happiness, he sniffed, but as soon as he opened his mouth to talk, he saw someone standing by his side. It was Scar.

-"Wait a minute, bird" – said the younger lion through clenched fangs.

Only now did Mufasa notice that Anya had been speaking solely to him, not even mentioning his brother's name from the moment she greeted them. That was the stork's grave mistake, and it made Scar extremely angry.

Anya shuddered and ruffled her feathers. Even though the Prince of the Pridelands seemed calm, she could recognize the kind of glow he had in his poisonous green eyes.

-"Yes, I know you also have questions for me" – she attempted to hold her undisturbed demeanor, even though a strong shiver went down her spine.

-"Well why don't you start _talking_, then? Isn't that your duty here?"

Anya gulped. And then spoke with a voice more silent and much less cheerful than when she was delivering her message to Mufasa.

-"I have not forgotten about your request as well, Prince Scar. As soon as we finished talking to Sarabi, I took a look around and observed the other lionesses. It wasn't hard for me to find her- she was the only one with that pretty, azure color of her eyes. She was quite surprised when I asked her to approach. Then I said to her what you wanted me to say. _Sarafina, Scar sends you his greeting_. That was all."

A deaf silence fell as the two lions watched Scar's reaction. A silence that wasn't disturbed by anything except the silent sound of him gnashing his teeth.

-"What was… her answer?" – he stammered, breathing deeply and shivering with emotion. Anya sighed, lowering her head.

-"There was no answer."

-"_WHAT_?" – the lion groaned with despair.

-"I'm just telling you what happened, that's all. After I told Sarafina that you wanted me to greet her, she burst out crying and ran away, pushing through her pridesisters, looking totally devastated."

Scar laughed at those words. But it was not one of his regular laughs of malice or mockery- no, it was more like a laugh of someone who realizes just how foolish he'd been. Someone who's hopes have come undone.

-"The lioness had a cub, didn't she?" – he uttered, piercing the frightened stork with his broken stare.

-"Y-yes… I believe her name was… Nala? S-she's betrothed to the Prince, am I right? When Sarafina ran away, t-the cub just followed her mother…"

At this point Scar charged at Anya with a growl, halting right in front of her beak, almost making her fly away in terror.

-"_What is Nala's eyecolor_?" – he screamed.

-"Brother, what are you doing?" – Mufasa said trying to restrain him from behind. Laila gasped with shock.

-"This is one of Moses' lies! And you lie as well, stork- I don't believe a word you are saying! You might have made all of this up, you might know that I was once known as Taka, you might have even overheard my daughter's name, but there is no way you could _ever_ know this. Now tell me! _WHAT IS NALA'S EYECOLOR_?" – the jaws of the black-maned lion clasped inches from Anya's face as she was holding her back against a tree.

-"Uh, it was… blue! Azure, bright blue, just like her mother's!" – she yelped without hesitation, trying to cover herself with a wing out of fear.

-"No… _No_! I don't believe it!" – Scar lamented, turning his head in distrust and sorrow. The ground was watered with his tears. – "Once again, I am forbidden to be consoled! Damn this unfair world… _DAMN YOU, SARAFINAAA_!" – he lead out a loud, crazed howl that could be heard in every cage at the ZOO. The animals shivered, thinking that some strange, new animal has been brought there- one that sounded like a whole pack of hungry dogs screaming frighteningly into the night…

Mufasa felt deeply worried. He tried to touch his brother, to comfort him somehow. But all he got was a paw to the face.

-"Get out of my sight" – panted the younger feline in his rage. – "You got your reward. Go and enjoy it, but leave _me_ alone."

In silence and sadness, Mufasa and Laila observed Scar straggle back into the den. Today they realized that for six months he'd been waiting for a better answer from his former mate.

Also Anya gazed at them compassionately, and then just flew away without a single word.

* * *

It was already late at night, but Mufasa wasn't sleeping. He couldn't. Not only because he still felt too affected by what had happened earlier that day to even be able to rest. No, there was something more- he'd made a promise to his beloved mate, Sarabi, queen of the Pridelands, to watch the stars every night, feeling the bond, unbreakable despite the distance, that connected him to the one who was also out there watching the same stars. And so he intended to do tonight- as long as the sunrise doesn't overshadow their light.

-_"Asante sana, baba… asante…"_

His silent prayer expressed what the lions believed- that every king from their kind, after living his life ruling over whatever walked the earth, relocated into the astral kingdom to take control of that what was out of this world.

Fate.

The council of Old Kings observed the acts of others from above, especially their successor in reign. If he was a good and righteous monarch, they would send him their blessing. Mufasa had been asking his request for the past six months, not sure if he had been a good and righteous monarch.

Of that he still wasn't sure. But he was sure that he has been rewarded.

-_"Asante sana, baba… asante…"_

His joyful thanksgiving was directed towards one specific ancestor- one specific king from the past. _Ahadi_. His father. Now, feeling his presence as never before since his death, he felt like a cub when being rewarded by his parent.

He summoned those scenes in his mind, making them flash colorfully and vividly amongst the darkness. _Ahadi the Great_. _Ahadi the Kind_. Playing with him, tutoring him, teaching every bit of his vast wisdom in order for his son to become a good, strong and respected ruler…

But there was an element missing in the puzzle- one character did not appear in the scene, even though he was a part of it. Mufasa saw himself playing with the large, golden furred lion with an ebony mane… But king Ahadi had been the father of _two_ sons.

-_"Baba."_

Mufasa shivered suddenly hearing the trembling, scornful whisper right behind his back. Somebody has been listening to his prayer… And now was doing something he hadn't done in years- praying himself.

-_„Baba... Napenda kuua dunia nzima, kama wewe tu… alinipenda!"_

The lion recognized his brother's voice. But that wasn't the thing that filled him with the most sorrow and fear. For years Mufasa thought that Scar was blinded by sheer damnable jealousy. This night proved to him that it was indeed something much deeper- something that drastically changed his vision of king Ahadi the Kind and his younger son, prince Taka the Scarred.

Scar's words meant- _'Father… I would kill the whole world, if only you would… love me!'_

All his life, Scar had felt that fate was against him. That the very stars had considered him to be forsaken.

But Ahadi had been a kind and righteous ruler… hadn't he?

-"_Alifanya nakupenda, Scar... _He does love you, brother!"

No, his words did not comfort. All that Mufasa saw among the night was the glow of emerald-green eyes with a blazing scar disfiguring one of them, and a vicious growl that came from an ever-neglected, unjustly mistreated creature.

-_"__**Hakuna**_! _Yeye __tu_ _**alikupenda**_, _Mufasa! Tu wewe!"_

And then he left, dreaming that maybe this time he would be able to sleep even despite the injustice that always burdened him but sometimes became simply unbearable. Mufasa on the other hand was left robbed of his joy- left with nothing but the echo of his brother's words.

'_No... He only loved you... Only you...'_

* * *

**AN: Aww, this is so sad! I mean if you are as compassionate towards the 'villains' as I am. I even felt sorry when they lynched Gaddafi!**

**But back to the story- Anya accomplished her mission and hooray for her indeed. I think she should get some kind of reward, tho it's kind of hard since animals do not own any material possessions. The answer she brings is… well, predictable, at least as far as Muffy is concerned. He is a god for the Pridelanders so obviously they send him words of gratitude and love. Sarabi stayed faithful to him despite nearly crying her eyes out probably (a monogamous lioness is something very unnatural, but I said it once and I will say it again- Disney lies). She's the queen and soon, when Simba becomes big enough, he's going to take the throne from his mom. All fine and dandy, one might say. **

**NOT. Now try to put yourself in Scar's position- all his life he felt like a fifth wheel, his plans of taking over Pride Rock were reduced to ash when he was forced to spend a lifetime in a cage with his annoying brother. He had cut his connection with his mate after their son died, but let's remember that in my story he never had the chance to meet Zira whom I believe to really be his beloved. So even though he didn't show it, he was waiting in anticipation for Sarafina's response to his simple 'hi'. That 'hi', coming from someone as cold as Scar, was a gesture of apology and a sign of good will… And what did Fina do with it? Yes, she rejected it. At first Scar couldn't believe she really did it, but Anya proved to be telling the truth- his former mate had had enough of him. **

**Once again the older brother got everything and the younger got nothing. But for Mufasa it's hard to see that Scar isn't just downright jealous. He just longs to get what everybody deserves- a little happiness. Mufasa had been treated like a king all his life, but when he sees his brother's sorrow, such a contrast to his own joy, he is starting to doubt that king Ahadi should really be considered as 'Great' and 'Kind'.**

**So this is the end of a certain part of my story. I do have an idea on how to develop it further, but it might take some time for me to write it down. I suppose you all are wondering on how this story ends, so you will forgive me if I let you wait a little longer, won't you? I do have other important duties, you know. And I bet you do, too.**

**Review me, tell me what you think. Is this situation a shock or was it predictable? I know many authors try to show Scar's emotional side as well. And how do you think he'll react now? Will he manage to put Fina behind him and regain his peace? Or will he let his envy possess him like a dark fate leading him to kill Mufasa after all? And what about the older lion and Laila? Stay tuned for more news 'From behind Bars' XD**


	26. You have no Idea

**AN: _Finally_, I'm back! And Mufasa and Scar are still locked behind bars!**

* * *

**Day 227**

_Breeder's journal._

_I went to the ZOO today and it was the first time in twenty years when I had to pay for the bloody ticket! Those guards are real numbskulls. I spent an hour just staring at my lions- they recognized me and it seems that they are doing well, even though Laila still doesn't show the slightest signs of being pregnant. I just can't wait to start working there again._

* * *

The stork had come and the stork had gone. Tears have been shed, word of anger have been shouted, prayers have been lifted up towards the heavens. Everything came back to normal. At least externally.

People, at this time of year dressed in their light, summer clothing, were moving about on the other side of the Perspex wall, significantly more concerned with the three inhabitants of the Lion Walk than they were with them.

Laila was, as usually after breakfast, nursing her fur with all the care and devotion of a young lioness.

Scar was most likely sleeping, lying carelessly on his back upon a grassy parcel of the ground and exposing his belly and everything below to the heavens and whatever inhabited them, showing just how much he cared about the stars and his fate that was supposed to be written in them.

Mufasa was, of course, busy. Nodding and humming every now and then, he was hearing out Moses' relation concerning recent events that took part in the ZOO. After the return of the lions' majordomo, they had reestablished their web of connection with the other animals and were now acting sort of like sages and advisors for the whole community. Both their carnivorous and herbivorous jailmates were using Moses' mediation to ask questions and solve the inner problems of their families whenever they became too grave for them to take care of it themselves. And after the lions' wisdom occurred to be useful in quite a few situations, soon the whole institution knew who to turn to when someone was in need.

-"I'm telling ya, it's getting really nasty over there!" – Moses gasped, waving his big black wings emotionally as he described the currently most urgent of the events inside the institution. – "I don't know much about lynxes, but trust me- that Amanda is one jealous kitty cat! I suppose you can remember what I've told you about her reaction when the humans added Laila to the menagerie. Her mate Leonidas was seemingly very excited to hear that, what made the female _extremely_ unhappy. Well, later everything went silent for a while, but recently I think Leo made some kind of mistake. Some birds say that it was a real small thing- like maybe he moaned Laila's name in his sleep or something. It's beyond me anyway. I mean, how can anyone even be jealous in such a situation? They don't even belong to the same species! Leo is more than two times smaller than any female lion for heaven's sake…"

-"And they are held locked in separate cages, what also should be considerable" – Mufasa interrupted him expressing his own thoughts on the matter. But the old raven could sense a taste of irony in his words and in the slight curve of the lion's lips.

-"Oh you can laugh, Muffy, but try to put yourself in Leo's position! Amanda is furious- she keeps him away from their sons, and Shem, Ham and Japheth are starting to get worried themselves. It's not nice for adolescent cubs to watch their parents' relationship go to pieces, you know! Anyway, Leonidas is helpless and he feels shattered. The guy almost begged me to ask you for help."

-"Alright, alright" – Mufasa dropped his joyfulness and stood up to look more serious. He turned his head to survey his surroundings. Laila seemed totally unconcerned about the fact that someone's adoration towards her was close to leading to the destruction of a marriage, as she was more busy with grooming the fur on her back. For a very short moment, Mufasa wondered about how was that even possible. Not that she was so inert, but that she was actually able to lick her own back. Then, quickly abandoning that thought, he gazed towards Scar, who had supposedly established quite a close and almost friendly connection with the male lynx during their midnight walk through the alleys of the ZOO. But no, Scar wasn't eager to help as well- he was still just snoring and sunning his landing gear.

And that sight quickly made Mufasa turn away to face Moses once again. The lion sighed. Once again he was made to be the one to solve the other animals' problems. But that was still Mufasa- the former Lion King, as proud as he always was. So truth be told, he actually liked that thought and the duty he was given.

-"_Ahh_, let me think… Well yes, it's true that Amanda's jealousy is quite unreasonable when looked upon… But I suppose you are conscious of the futility of demanding a female to depend on something more than just her emotions!" – he took a swift look to determine if his words didn't offend Laila, but seeing her lack of reaction, he continued. – "Okay, Moses- draining from my own experience in the matter, all I can advise Leo to do is to simply wait until his mate cools off a bit. I assume that he'd already assured her of his innocence?"

The raven waved his head.

-"Yeah yeah, he said that he loves her, that he can't imagine his life without her, that he really didn't mean to upset her… You know, all the usual promises that are said during marital arguments no matter the species…"

-"Good. Tell him that even though she didn't believe him, she did hear what he said. Now all it takes is for her anger to silence and let reason consider the whole matter in peace. That's all I can say for now. Keep me informed about how they're doing."

Moses saluted clumsily and with a loud "_yes sir_!" he took off into the air to deliver the message. Muffy took a deep breath, meditating over the hardships of being a leader again.

-"_Uhh_, it's not easy to be everyone's advisor…" – he said to himself. And even despite that his words were quite silent, or rather this is what he considered them to be, he quickly heard a rather unpleasing response. Namely, his brother's forceful, mocking laughter.

-"_HAHAHA_!" – his younger sibling chortled with utmost amusement, kicking the air with his hind legs.

So Scar wasn't asleep after all- thought Mufasa as he felt anger growing inside him. For some time now, about since the return of Anya the stork, the brothers' relations have become particularly cold. They ceased to sing together, they took part in friendly play fights no longer, they hardly ever even spoke with each other. It was just like the time after Simba was born and the two had a severe quarrel about why wouldn't Scar take part in the prince's presentation. Now, just like then, the younger lion's behavior has become simply intolerable. Scar had always been malicious, but nowadays Mufasa was starting to think that this miserable feline is trying to get even on him for all of his grief and the supposed injustice that he'd experienced. The older brother had tried to be compassionate, but he found it extremely hard to sympathize with someone who was simply asking to get his rump kicked mightily.

-"Shut the hell up! What's wrong with you?" – Mufasa was once again feeling his irritation taking advantage of him. But he wasn't trying to stop it. After being able to control himself, Scar rose from the ground with tears in his eyes and a smirk of jeer twisting his face.

-"Oh, heh-heh, excuse me, brother. I'm just enjoying the joke you've just spoken."

-"What joke?" – the lion answered yelling, finally attracting Laila's attention.

-"You know! The one about you being _everyone's advisor_. Hilarious, really. Did you make it up on your own? I seriously doubt it…"

-"You're going over the edge, Scar!"

-"Am I? No, you are the one who went over the edge, boasting about yourself _as usual_. Do you even look at your reflection in the stream sometimes? You're not all that perfect…"

-"_Scar_! Don't push me!"

-"… and I really don't know why those doleful creatures still send the raven to ask you to solve them their pitiful problems! Lesser beings, as I have always said…"

-"I _mean_ it, brother! Shut your snout!"

-"That Leonidas fellow, for example. A real disgrace to the feline kind. Not only does he fail to put that stupid female of his in her place, but he pleads for familiar consultation from someone who _doesn't even have a family of his own_ anymore…"

-"_Scar!_"

-"… and will never see them again!"

Mufasa was petrified. For a second he just sat there with a gaping mouth. _What? How could he have said such a thing? _This was something more than just malice. No- this was hate. He knew it when he gazed into his brother's emerald eyes, narrowed, scornful, loathing.

And then he attacked.

Laila shrieked with shock when she saw the bigger, stronger male charging ferociously at his helpless brother. This did not look like one of their staged pouncing exercises. To her greatest fright, Mufasa looked furious- just like he wanted to…

Kill his brother.

Scar did not try to dodge or resist the attacker's onrush. It was futile- right now Mufasa was showing all of what his body provided him with, boosted with the power of wrath. In a mere moment, the younger feline was hammered to the ground, trapped under the 250 kilos of pure muscle. He gasped, but he didn't seem afraid. He looked as if he _wanted_ this.

-"Go on… do what you want to do… feel the same rage that I have once felt towards you…"

It was just like when Mufasa came to him after he missed the presentation. _Mad as a hippo with a hernia_, as Zazu put it, and even more than that. Back then Scar told him to hold his temper and departed, but now…

-"Brute strength" – he grinned mockingly. – "Come on, let's see where that will lead you…"

Behind them, Laila was shouting with despair.

-"_Muffy_! Let him go! Don't do anything stupid!"

Mufasa gnashed his teeth right in front of Scar's face. No, he didn't want to kill him… But he also was far from letting him get away from being punished _this time_.

-"This is for what you said about my family!"

The female wheezed when she saw him lifting up is paw with claws unsheathed. And when she saw it going down… She wasn't able to make any more sound at all.

She saw Mufasa raising from the ground and leaving without a word to hide among the trees. For a moment Scar remained without motion, sending shivers down the lioness' spine… But after a while he also stood on his legs with a painful groan, shaking the grass off his fur and heading towards the den… leaving a trail of blood behind him as he walked.

* * *

When she entered, he was standing in the shadow with his back turned, but when he felt her scent and heard her unstable breath, he suddenly moved to face her. The sound of her frightened shriek filled the cave as she observed the wounds that Mufasa had inflicted. Scar, the famous lion with a flaw on his eye, had been scarred yet again- three deep, bleeding cut marks were now disfiguring the left side of his muzzle, wetting his beard and the mane on his chest with blood. His eyes were wild, wide-open as he panted to catch his breath. But when he saw Laila, frowning and cringing in fear before him, he calmed down a bit. Dropping his crazed expression, he approached her closely. _Very_ closely- close enough to whisper straight into her ear.

-"Lie down on the ground."

_This is it_- thought the female. Something her mother had warned her about. Something she'd feared from the very first moment she saw that she was put in a cage along with two male lions. Her time of peace has lasted long enough- now, filled with emotion, one of them would ease the passion burning inside him by taking advantage of someone as small and powerless as her.

Laila shivered, and Scar could feel that. But it did not make him act brutally- actually, to her surprise, it did not make him act at all. Noticing that he was scaring her, he changed the tone of his voice. He was waiting for her consent.

-"Lie down on the ground… Please."

She retreated her head to look him in the face. Scar, wounded and bleeding, was not looking angry at all. There was something other in his eyes, something that Laila could sense and what made her feel extremely sorry for him.

Sorrow.

Obediently and a little less fearfully, she submitted to the male's request. The cold stone touching her belly made her flinch, but soon after, she felt the warmth of the body of a lion. Scar did not approach her from behind like a mate. Instead, he nuzzled into the fur on her side like he was her sibling or a little cub from the same pride. Only then did he breathe with relief, and Laila breathed along with him.

-"You're so lonely, aren't you?" – she asked plainly like the young, innocent female she was. It took some time for the words to make it through Scar's throat.

-"You have no idea…" – he whispered sadly.

The atmosphere in the cave suddenly became a little bit more cheerful, warm and friendly. Laila smiled delicately. Was it also becoming a little bit _romantic_ as well?

But of course such thoughts vanished rapidly as she heard Scar who was lying in her embrace snoring loudly, emerged in a deep slumber.


	27. Hate me

**AN: Man, am I busy lately! I wrote this ASAP. I hope the next chapters will come in faster...**

**Oh- and HOORAY for over 100 reviews! XD  
**

* * *

**Day 250**

_Breeder's journal._

_SUCCESS! Finally, I managed to accomplish my goal and get even on that backstabbing Director guy! The Vet Inspection looked into the files I left them, and after noticing that for a long time he'd been committing serious abuses concerning the animals and the ZOO's finances that lead to his own benefit, they… well, deported him in a wheelbarrow. Whoopee! Not long after they hired a new Director- my old professor from the times when I studied zoology at the university. When I came to his office he recognized me immediately, greeting me with a cup of coffee and asking why was I there. I said that I had worked at the ZOO earlier as a lion raiser and came to ask if he wouldn't want me back maybe. He agreed at once, saying that the old Director didn't even bother to hire someone else to take care of the lions after I was fired!_

_I got to work without a minute of delay. As soon as I entered the Lion Walk I could sense that something was wrong- it's a good thing I got back, as the animals had a noticeably bad time during my absence. Black has visible nasty scars on his muzzle and sides, Laila is significantly agitated, and Red, well, seems to have lost his temper for some reason. He growls at everything that moves and doesn't even let his friends approach him! I'm going to spend a few days to observe what happens and try to figure out what's wrong, but still I am full of concern._

* * *

Mufasa came out of the den with a lowered head, throwing angry stares all around. He hadn't slept very well tonight and he was determined to make everyone who'd irritate him even more sorry that he was ever born. He sent a warning growl towards Scar and Laila- the pair of lions were sitting under one of the walls of the Lion Walk, as far from the older male as possible. The lioness, clearly intimidated, was nuzzling at the younger brother's side with sadness in her eyes as she observed that the once peaceful and happy Mufasa was having another bad day. Scar on the other hand followed his sibling with blank eyes. The cuts on his muzzle had luckily not been infected and they were now almost fully healed… But the new bruises and cuts were presently a significant flaw to the lion's once handsome outer appearance. Mufasa has changed a lot. No longer was he in the right state of spirit to hear out and advise the other inhabitants of the ZOO. Feeling tired from being shouted at and shooed away constantly, finally even Moses ceased to show up. But that was nothing when compared to the way the former Lion King acted when it came to his relations with the ones he lived with- that was a fact that simply had a devastating affect on them.

Still carrying the frown of anger upon his face, Mufasa approached the place where the humans usually left their meat in order to have breakfast. When he chose the largest and tastiest chunk to be his meal, he stooped down towards it to smell if the carrion was fresh.

And then he felt a smell that made his stomach turn inside out and his throat emit a roar of fury.

-"_RRRAH! What is this?_" – he screamed, his bloodshot eyes piercing Scar with a glare of accusation.

His brother just laughed silently, trying to act as if the gravity of the little _accident_ that happened to the meat was far lighter.

-"_Heh-heh_… Oh, I'm sorry. I must have unintentionally marked your food instead of one of the trees this morning… It must have been the wind, probably."

Keeping up the leonine custom, Mufasa and Scar marked the trees in the Lion Walk every once in a while for other creatures to know that it was their territory. It was something their animal instincts told them to do, and since they were both animals, they used what nature provided them with to put their scent on things- namely, their _urine_.

-"_You pissed on my damn food_?" – Mufasa charged at his brother with raging haste, making Laila leave his side and run away in terror. Scar on the other hand kept his position, attempting to look into his sibling's bared, sharp fangs with a calm and unaffected expression. But the lioness could see even from the distance of her hiding spot just how he was nervously whipping the ground with his tale.

-"Calm down, brother… after all, it was nothing more than just an accident…" – he tried to smile conciliatory, but Mufasa was far too fretful to fall for that.

-"I'll be _damned_ if that was an accident! Why are you doing this? Why are you purposely trying to make me lose my temper over and over again?"

He gazed at him demandingly, but Scar just laughed.

And that was his mistake, as his brother's strong paw quickly wiped the smile from his face.

Another fight began, what lately happened quite often. From her shelter behind one of the rocks, trembling and scared, Laila observed how Mufasa was taking out on his younger and weaker brother, blinded by rage.

There was one thing extremely strange in this hopeless battle- even though Scar could at least try to fight back or use his speed to make a quick escape from his sibling's hits and slashes, he didn't do that. Actually, it seemed as if he was actually provoking Mufasa to attack, exposing himself to the strikes of his paws, groaning in pain from getting more and more beaten, bruised, wounded…

It wasn't a duel. It was a battery.

Laila cried silently and bit her lip. Somewhere inside, she knew that this was what had to happen. After what Scar had told her, she was determined to be strong and survive the hardest time… But what Scar had told her also led to the fact that she couldn't just stand and watch.

Scar panted, tripping over his own paws. His face was bruised, his mane was a mess, and his whole body was covered by a number of fresh, bleeding cuts and bites. Finally, too exhausted to attempt standing up another time, he crouched on the ground in front of one of the worst nightmares from the past- the big bully from his cubhood, his bigger and stronger brother who turned from an angel to a demon whenever he got irritated. And Scar was always the one because of whom Mufasa would get irritated.

He breathed deeply, his brown eyes ablaze, his face a frightening mask of an angered god. Looking at the hurt, miserable, vulnerable creature in front of him he halted before continuing to carry out his punishment. There was a single question that echoed inside Mufasa's mind that he couldn't get rid of.

-"Why do you do this, Scar?" – he spat the words at his quivering brother, squeezing them through his gnashing fangs.

At such moment, Scar should be fearful. He should be taking his lashed with understanding for why he was being punished for. But even if he ever really feared his brother, and at some moments indeed he did, he would never, ever show it to him. That made Mufasa more mad than even his mocking pranks and malice. Also now, even though swollen, Scar's eyes were empty, placid and passionless. And so was his voice when he spoke the most awful of words.

-"_Hate me_, Mufasa. Hate me as I have once hated you. Venture into the deepest pits of your anger and let it flow over me. You know I_ deserve_ it, don't you? Ah. You have always suspected it, but fear kept you from admitting that something like that can indeed be true."

His eyes widened. Apart from fury, the awkwardness and confusion of a tricked cub started appearing in Mufasa's expression.

-"What are you talking about?" – he groaned.

-"Oh don't be so shocked. You have found out just how dark your brother's heart is long ago. It was that time when Simba sneaked out to go and investigate the Elephant Graveyard, remember?"

The lion's jaw dropped and it made Scar smile.

-"Precisely. You have always known about my collusion with the hyenas, haven't you? Well guess what, o prudent king. You were right. I personally sent Shenzi, Banzai and Ed so they would make themselves a meal out of Simba and my own unworthy daughter, thus erasing most of the problems in my life. But, as you know, that never happened."

-"No… You're lying. You are not like that!"

-"Am I really not? Well look into my eyes, Mufasa. And now look into yourself- you have always blamed me for something, but for what you couldn't name. Well this is it- I had deliberately planned to assassinate your son and take his place as king of the Pridelands. Furthermore, I also intended to attempt another coup, this time taking _you_ personally as my target. But these plans could not be carried out due to our relocation here."

No. This was too much.

-"You… you son of a…" – Mufasa stammered.

-"Be careful who you insult, _brother_."

-"I'm going to… kill you! _I'll kill you for this_!"

He roared, looking as if he really wanted to do it. He had his reasons. He had the means. But then something quite unexpected stopped the execution.

-"_NOOO_!" – Laila screamed, leaping from her hideout and charging at the furious male. And her sudden action might have saved Scar, but it certainly didn't help her.

-"You insolent whelp!" – screamed the lion, totally losing his mind. He was much stronger than Laila, and when he hit her straight in the face with his paw the female fell to the ground like a dead corpse. That gave Scar the chance to lift himself up, but even though he initially intended to escape, when he saw Mufasa approaching the lioness to punish her audacity in stopping his righteous punishment, he leapt at his back with a roar, piercing the skin with his needle-like claws. But after a few forceful kicks, he was thrown off so unfortunately that he hit a rock with the side of his head.

For a while, everything went dark. When Scar managed to open his eyes, the urge to get up and protect himself filling his with a rush of adrenaline, he saw that Mufasa wasn't concerned with him any longer. As a matter of fact, he wasn't concerned with anything at all anymore, as he was lying motionlessly and unconsciously.

The three lions' bloody, brutal duel has become too fierce, and their human raiser decided that it would be highly necessary to end it. And so it finished with the single shot of a tranquilizing gun.

* * *

**AN: So the cat's out of the bag now...**

**This is the part of my story when a lot is being revealed about Taka the Scarred. Some of you are trying to make out what that means and what his real goal is… Well, what do you think this time? Has Scar become so apathetic that he is trying to commit a suicide-by-brother? Are there really no more chances for them?**


	28. Over the Edge

**Day 251**

_Breeder's journal._

_Red has gone over the edge this time! Even though I have no idea about what ever could have happened during my absence that made him become so unstable, yesterday's situation made me use drastic measures in order not to let the situation become too dangerous. The oldest of the lions is stronger than the younger ones, and since he continues to attack them, it was necessary to isolate him and take him away from the walk. Furthermore, I have also decided to put Black and Laila under strict observation as well in order to estimate what exactly is wrong with them. Good thing the new director is more concerned about the lions' wellbeing than the ZOO's income. I'm sure the old one would just let the animals slaughter themselves with the visitors watching, but I will sooner crack than let something like that happen._

* * *

Behind locked doors, inside a well-illuminated, small room with a white lino floor that was one of the chambers inside the ZOO's laboratory, there stood three tight, uncomfortable cages placed under each opposite wall. And in each one of them, there was a lion.

In the first cage, a young and quite good-looking female with dark brown fur paced to and thro from wall to wall in great emotion, her agitation significantly shadowing the esthetics of her outer appearance.

In the second cage, a male with pitch-black hair sat unconcerned by anything but delicately nursing his many fresh wounds, deliberately ignoring the lioness' communicative glares which she would send him from time to time.

In the third cage, a large and dangerously looking goldish-red colored lion laid in an unnatural, uncomfortable position, emerged in his externally induced slumber.

Laila was slowly beginning to lose her patience. Since it was impossible to see the sky from where had the lions been taken, she couldn't say how long a time have they spent on nothing more but waiting inactively, though she was sure that it took at least a few good hours. Feeling thoroughly tired, she sat in the middle of her cubicle prison with a groan of uncertain anticipation, silent, yet loud enough for Scar to be able to clearly hear her from the other side of the room. Once again, he did not answer with a single word, sound or motion. He just kept licking the scratches on his shoulder, looking as if he felt no pain as he did so. But Laila knew that even though the wounds that Mufasa had inflicted have finally ceased to bleed, they did hurt. The more that the type of pain they caused was not exactly of plainly physical origin.

It's hard to say how much more time was Laila forced to hold her tongue. It might have been ten minutes or even a whole hour. But that did not matter- what was important was that Mufasa, formerly treated with the strongest kind of sedatives, finally came to his senses.

His two fellow prisoners found that out as soon as they heard his angry, painful moan that clearly showed his state of mind after waking up. All of what he'd been through- the rage, the fight and the drug, has done it's job in making him even more wild and blinded by sheer low instincts.

Among the animal kingdom, there were always species that were more or less reasonable. The state of the development of their brains stretched out from the highly unintelligent, gregarious herbivores that depended more on their numbers than the actual skills of each individual creature, to as far as the ones as wise as the primates that were clever enough to sustain a lone lifestyle. The lion kind were nicknamed the 'kings of beasts' mostly because they combined both intelligence and strength. But even despite that, each one of them, even a unit as noble as Mufasa, was still deep in his heart a wild and untamed animal. There were some who were able to hide that well, and the king of Pride Rock had been one of them, always behaving with highest reason and self control. But unfortunately, thanks to the hardships of life behind bars and the seemingly intentional interventions of his brother Scar, that fact has changed dramatically.  
Mufasa stood up from the ground with a lot of effort, hard to recognize as his old self. His mane was torn, blades of hey were entangled among his hair and covered the rest of his dirty fur. His face was twisted and stained with spit, his aching eyes blood-shot and crazed. As he directed them towards the blurry sight of bars that kept him enclosed in his present tight prison, he frowned even more, and when he was able to notice the other two lions, more by their scent than by seeing them, he roared. The voice that could be heard was not the voice of king Mufasa- not even when he was angry. Mufasa was lost in oblivion. That was the growl of a beast.

Laila shivered, seeing how her former friend suddenly regained his strength after such a long coma only to charge at the wall of his cage ferociously. And, of course, to no effect. Again, she addressed Scar with a soundless, desperate request painted on her face.

_Please, do something! You have to!_

The black-maned lion had stopped tending his wounds and sat as he would often sit, gruesomely unconcerned and passionless. But after taking a quick glance at his deranged sibling, he did give her an answering look.

_No. Stay put._

The lioness narrowed her eyes.

_Scar! Don't let him go too far! At least speak to him!_

But the male just observed the muscular feline's attempts to tear down the bars with a vacant expression. After a while, he gazed at Laila once more.

_You know this is necessary. You have agreed to this!_

Yes, she knew that was true. But still sorrow filled her heart when she saw Mufasa hurting himself in the futile fight with pure iron.

Or maybe not so futile a fight after all...?

This is what she thought when she heard a characteristic metallic creaking which indicated that the cage's hinges had indeed loosened under the pressure of the lion's strong paws. The sound made Scar smile.

_Heh-heh, well done, brother... Alright, Laila- now you can sit back and enjoy the show._

Mufasa moved away from the cage wall panting, totally worn off. With a dangling tongue he collapsed to the floor, foam dripping from the corners of his mouth. He looked calm, but he was not- he was just exhausted.

The other two lions waited. The right moment was bound to come sooner or later. And indeed- since they were under constant supervision, it came not long after Mufasa's apparent rest. In the fourth wall of the room, the only one that didn't have a cage under it, there was a door. And now all three pairs of ears went up to hear the sound of the door being opened. It was to be anticipated- seeing that all the lions had finally woken up, their human keeper decided it was the right time to feed them.

And now they saw him once again- their kidnapper and benefactor in the same person, their patron and the one who felt most responsible for them, even though he led to their apprehension and all of their misery in the first place. They knew him well- his smell, the look of his white lab coat, the sound of his steps... Scar, Laila and Mufasa gazed at him closely as he made his way through the room, carrying a bucket full of fresh meat. He didn't look very satisfied. He put the bucket on the ground in front of Mufasa's cage and grabbing a piece of beef, held it in front of the resting lion's face, his expression indicating that he was about to give it to him even though he felt the lion didn't deserve it at all.

But the breeder was ignorant of the fact just how much he didn't deserve it.

When the large beast suddenly battered at the bars of his cage, the human wasn't very surprised. But when the hinges were torn with a sharp crackle and Mufasa charged at him roaring and exposing his sharp claws and giant fangs, he dropped the meat from his hand and howled in terror, attempting to cover himself, his effort providing him with no help at all.

Laila watched the following scene with horror and disgust as the human's bloodcurdling screams filling the room up to the very ceiling were sending shivers down her spine. But Scar was still gazing at her, reminding her of her promise that if this was ever to actually happen, she would stay put. And so she did, even if it was hard, directing her eyes alternately towards the smiling, black-maned lion and the ravel of bodies that struggled in order to free a man from the mouth of a lion.

* * *

**AN: MAN DOWN! This is it! Mufasa gone bad! So I guess this is the end of the 'Breeder's journal'…**

**It's clear that Scar had a plan in making him mad- but is he planning to get rid of his older brother after all? And what is Laila's role in this scheme? Answers are coming! I hope to submit the next chap about Sunday. Thank you for the support! I'll do my best!**


	29. From behind Bars

**Day 254**

Pain.

That was the first thing he felt after waking up. A piercing ache located somewhere behind his eyes, very similar to being stabbed with a porcupine's needle, only that he felt it in his brain. Many bad things had happened to him, in consequence to which he was presently beaten, drugged and sore. But despite all that, he was _alive_.

With the highest effort, he managed to open his eyes. At first it was hard to recognize anything among the mist- his mind had to get used to normal activity again. But as soon as he was able to see clearly, the first thing he saw in front of him, were bars- strong, iron poles for which to struggle with he just didn't have the strength anymore, becoming a clear sign of his tragedy and downfall just as they used to be for the past months. But the sight of bars he'd gotten used to. It was what was on the other side of them that wouldn't give him a moment of rest, and not just for some period of time, but for all his life.

At the other side of the bars of Mufasa's cage was the Lion Walk. And Scar, sitting right in front with that same, passionless stare of his.

The captive feline attempted to stand up and roar, but all that his present state permitted him to do was to lift his aching head with an irritated, scornful snarl. That made his brother's face show a little discomfort, and he whipped the ground with his tail forcefully.

-"_Wrrr… _Now I know what you've been up to…" – Mufasa uttered. – "But your plan has failed yet again, brother! The stars are against wrongdoers like you. The humans did not kill me…"

-"_KIMYA_!" – Scar suddenly interrupted, screaming in the sacred language. – "_Kimya, ndugu! Unajua kitu_. You do not know anything."

And then, surprisingly to Mufasa, he calmed down. But not in a malicious manner of self-satisfied victory over his hated older sibling. No, it was… something different.

-"I know you're probably not able to believe me, but… I'm really going to miss you" – Scar said, looking him straight into the eyes. Mufasa frowned. Was this another trick?

-"What are you saying? Why am I still locked up? Where are they taking me? Are you hiding something from me?"

Straining his every muscle, Mufasa stood up growling and faced his brother, the bars of the cage being their only barrier. Scar smiled, but not like he usually used to smile. Somehow, he was happy, but not for his usual reasons.

-"Give my best to everyone at Pride Rock, brother."

_What? _At _Pride Rock_? What was Scar talking about? Mufasa felt troubled. His headache was blazing and he couldn't think clearly. All of this seemed… strange. Unlikely. Incomprehensible. He'd tried to kill their human breeder, he was being held in a cage… And now Scar was talking to him about _Pride Rock_? Was he dreaming? He turned his head, unable to make anything out of this burdening situation.

-"Explain this to me" – he looked at his brother finally with a pleading request in his eyes.

-"My pleasure" – Scar grinned, seeing his perplexity. – "You never were exactly the_ bright_ kind… But I guess all of this can be forgiven now. Ah, where do I start… First of all, I suppose I owe you an apology. Sorry for purposely making you mad for the past few weeks. Although since you did have me as an outlet for your anger, I suppose we're even. And more than that- even though you have an unhealthy tendency to yield to your low instincts, you are about to see that such behavior can sometimes serve a good cause. Even if one is totally oblivious to the fact. Don't worry, however- you'll thank me later."

-"I still don't understand a thing…"

-"I thought I told you to be quiet. Your ignorance is well visible on your face, believe me, and so I advise you to wait for me to explain. It's peculiar how certain small things tend to escape your attention and later grow to have a significant effect on your life- I suppose you've had this tendency since when you were a cub. Do you remember how you failed to discover my two assassination attempts? Not to mention the presence of humans in the Pridelands, what lead to our eventual imprisonment… Well, presently we are facing a similar case. Because I don't suppose you remember the story with the bear?"

Indeed, Mufasa's lack of understanding was clearly visible in his expression.

-"What bear?" – he asked, startled.

-"Ah! So I was right again. You really should have ran a record of such news in your mind, just as I have done myself. Well, let me remind you of a certain talk you've had with the raven Moses more than three months ago, approximately. After he came back to serve us as majordomo, he quite eagerly informed you about a significant event in the ZOO, which you've thoughtlessly ignored. Should I continue?"

Mufasa quickly waved his head.

-"Fine. He said something like this- _imagine that the other day, the humans bring a new inhabitant to the institution. A wild brown bear- caught in some forest far away. So they throw him inside a cage with three others of his kind that have gotten used to living in captivity years ago. Now get this- the bear starts acting really bad after being locked up. He doesn't eat, beats up his cellmates, all in all becomes a threat for himself and everything around him. Finally, he attacks one of the humans. _Doesn't this sound familiar?_ Now guess what the bald monkeys did to him afterwards_?"

The caged lion's jaw hung low. Everything was starting to become clear. It was true- he'd totally forgotten about Moses' report… Oh what an idiot he'd been! He'd made another mistake that could have cost him everything. But Scar… What he'd done for him was… brilliant. Outstanding. And it was also the most impressive kindness one could show to another, especially when knowing _who_ has shown it.

-"The humans sent the bear away, haven't they? They considered him unable to live in captivity and just released him back into his natural habitat…"

Finally, his brother was satisfied with Mufasa's answer.

-"_Precisely_" – Scar mouthed every syllable of the word slowly, expressing how content he was to see that, as little reason as his sibling had, he happily regained all of it.

Mufasa understood. Scar had always loved to play games- as long as he could play with the lives of others, and not the other way around. So he had done with Sarafina, his former mate, so he had done with the cub Simba… and now he'd played a game where his brother was a paws, only this time doing it out of different motives. Not to serve himself- but to sacrifice himself for the good of others.

-"Why, brother?" – Mufasa asked, feeling so much dazzled by such a sudden shine of his sibling's formerly deeply hidden good nature. The emerald eyes pierced him with a sincere stare.

-"Because you deserve this. As retribution for all that you have lost. And for all that I've tried to take away from you…"

Then Scar did something he had not done in years. Something he'd hardly ever done _sincerely_, and _never _before- out of real sorrow for his mistakes.

He sobbed.

-"I'm sorry, Mufasa… I had hated you for no reason… I'd committed a horrible crime in trying to kill my own brother out of sheer envy, and now I tremble to think that I do not indeed deserve to ever be pardoned…"

As unnatural as it looked, Scar was crying. As hard as it was to imagine, Mufasa was experiencing it before his very eyes, touched and deeply affected.

Truly, for most of the time of their stay in the Lion Walk the two lions had gotten along significantly better than when they lived in Africa, arguing only from time to time. But Mufasa thought that Scar's recent malicious, clearly intentional attempts to shatter his balance were clearly showing that his brother was still jealous of practically everything that he had- even of the answer Anya brought them from the Pridelands. And now it turned out that it was all a show… To enrage him, to make him furious so that having lost his mind he'd prove to the humans just how unable he himself was to live in captivity, attacking his own brother, the lioness they lived with and even their own human raiser…

He'd wounded his brother for nothing. And Scar let himself get scarred even more just to make him free. Now Mufasa was the one who felt awful.

-"I… I have been a fool. It is… just now that I recognize my flaws, my errors… I pardon you, brother. Right readily. And I beg you- forgive me, as well."

Scar lifted his head, embarrassed by his own tears, but when he saw them also in Mufasa's brown eyes, he smiled.

-"_Hmf_! Like I have anything to forgive you… You see, this is the fact that I have been isolating myself from for years- that, truth be told, you owe me absolutely _nothing_."

This was one of the few moments when the two brothers felt as actual siblings. One of them was also the time when they escaped their cage together to go on their midnight walk around the ZOO, but now was something far different. It was a stronger feeling- as if an old wound had been healed, leaving nothing but just a single, painless scar. The two lions would have fallen into each other's embrace, only if they weren't separated by a wall of bars. Instead, Mufasa put his paw on his brother's shoulder as they shared a happy look of mutual content.

-"You had me fooled there, Scar… I thought that you were a bad guy in this whole story."

-"Oh people often misjudge me, even my own relatives. I kind of got used to it- it does serve my cause from time to time. But there is one thing I would want to ask of you, brother- please, don't call me Scar anymore. That old nickname has gotten… inappropriate, somehow."

Mufasa smiled with true happiness.

-"Our parents would have been proud of you, Taka."

-"Yes, perhaps they would, for once… I did put a lot of effort in making this happen."

-"You're right, and I thank you. But… how can you be sure that the humans will actually send me back to the Pridelands?"

This time Taka's face was covered with a grin, self-content, as usual.

-"_Heh-heh_, you see, I've been doing far more things behind your back than I've already told you. I hope that you don't mind. Even though you chased him away, I kept contact with Moses. He revealed to me just what simple and predictable beings the humans truly are… It seems that in certain situations they have a law or code of action which they obediently follow. And so if an animal in the ZOO behaves badly, it is either put to sleep in the event when it actually manages to kill a human, and if it doesn't- it is simply sent back to where it came from. To the surroundings it knows and where it would be able to live normally and prosper. So you can call yourself lucky that you didn't murder our keeper in your amok, Mufasa. I advise you to pay special attention to anger management, since you'll need it much when you get relocated back to the Pridelands. To live normally and prosper."

Mufasa did not know what to say. He was grateful, more than ever in his life. And even if he did feel a little scared about where would the humans actually take him, he did have a lot of hope deep in his heart that everything would be okay.

But there was still one question that remained unanswered.

-"And what about you, Taka?" – he asked his brother.

-"Me? Oh don't you bother your big red head with that, I'll manage. You know that I got used to this place long ago and find it very pleasing not to have to run around the savanna in order to get my food. And besides, I will not be alone."

-"What, do you mean… Laila?"

-"Obviously I do."

-"Oh right! I have noticed that you two have become close to each other during the past few weeks. So what are you going to do now? Are you planning to… befriend her a little more with me gone and a little more _intimate_ atmosphere in the walk?" – Mufasa smiled communicatively.

But Taka's answering chuckle had even more amusement in it.

-"_Hahaha_! Brother, as I have said before, you don't know _half_ of what I've been up to behind your back."

The other feline stared at him, amazed with what kind of news could Taka still surprise him.

-"What do you mean?" – he asked curiously.

-"Well, what can I say…" – the black-maned lion sighed, but then stood proudly, delivering his announcement. – "Laila is pregnant. She's been so for weeks now."

-"_WHAT_? I can't believe this… And you're trying to tell me that… _you're_ the one who made her like that?"

-"_No_, bloody Leo the lynx did… _OF COURSE_ I'm the one! Damn it Muffy, you really have to stop asking stupid questions if you're going to be the king of Pride Rock again… Yes, Laila and I are quite happy with each other and we've planned to start a family here together. So I guess I'm going to be a father… _again_."

Mufasa looked at him joyfully.

-"And a fine father you will make!"

-"Yeah, time will tell…"

-"But wait- where is our young expectant friend, anyway?"

-"Sleeping. She's still under the influence of the humans' drugs. I couldn't wake her up and it's a real shame- she's probably going to be mad when she finds out that she didn't have a chance to reveal her secret and say goodbye to you personally…"

There was a moment of silence, during which Mufasa just gazed at his younger brother with a smile. And then he said-

-"Send Anya to me as soon as possible."

-"Oh yes, I'll keep you informed. And I will be dying to hear the news from Pride Rock… As I have said, give my best to Sarabi and the lionesses. And say hi from me to that little hairball of yours, too."

-"Simba's not a hairball! He grew a lot since we saw him last time!"

With a grin of mischief, Mufasa stretched out his paw in order to jerk at Taka's mane. And for the first time in years, he didn't move away- rather laughing at it with unoffended amusement.

Again, silence fell in the Lion Walk. It was hard for the brothers to admit the inevitable- that in just a few moments, for the first time in their lives, they were to be separated. And that made a touch of sadness appear on their faces.

-"So this means we'll never see each other again, doesn't it?" – Mufasa finally expressed the sorrowful question with a broken voice.

-"Yes. That is right" – Taka answered, looking towards some spot in the distance.

-"And there is no way for you to come with me?"

-"No, that's impossible. The humans want me to stay here with Laila and our cubs."

-"Then so be it!" – Mufasa said smiling, but his brother did not see it as he had his head turned.

-"For the past years, we have been getting in each other's way for the harm of the kingdom, even though we are brothers and king's sons. Now we must separate our routs and go in opposite ways- to establish kingdoms of our own where one as well as the other will try his best to rule a commendable reign. And even though I wish you the best of luck in your journey, Mufasa, brother, know this and keep in your mind the motto of our family- _Sisi ni moja_. We are one. And we cannot be fully torn apart."

Filling Mufasa's eyes with tears, Taka expressed the most important truth that kept their pride together for generations no matter what test or hardship they were made to endure. And then, doing what he deeply enjoyed, he started to sing- with his brother quickly joining him in the twofold choir of brotherly love.

_As you go through life you'll see, there is so much that we_

_Don't understand._

_And the only thing we know is things don't always go_

_The way we've planned._

_But you'll see everyday that we'll never turn away_

_When it seems all your dreams come undone._

_We will stand by your side filled with hope and filled with pride._

_We are more than we are-_

_We are one._

But as soon as the brothers were able to finish the first verse of the Pridelands' anthem, the song was interrupted as Taka got shot with tranquilizer and wasn't able to say anything, only sending Mufasa a last look of farewell.

-"_Remember me_" – whispered the older brother.

The moment has come- the humans entered the Lion Walk in order to take it's oldest inhabitant away to places unknown.

* * *

**AN: BOOM! You wanted something good to happen? Well how's this for a happy conclusion?  
**

**I know some of you have been predicting something like this might happen, but I didn't want to reveal what was in my mind to keep the tension strong. Did I do good? I'm sure some probably had a hunch that Scar might actually want to trick Mufasa and make the humans kill him. But I thought- to hell with Disney and his type of storytelling, I'm not going to make these characters black-and-white and obviously good guys and bad guys. I was thinking of something that had never actually happened in a Disney movie.  
**

**Namely, a conversion. A change of heart. And not like with Kovu in TLK2, but a situation in which the main villain, truly downright evil, becomes good. And so my favorite bad guy, Scar, seeing that he'd lost anything and that fighting with Mufasa is indeed futile and pointless, decides to help him be happy instead of wanting to destroy him for no reason. The time they'd spent in captivity makes him reconsider everything he'd ever known about his brother, and eventually, he lets go of his hate. With a lot of sacrifice from himself, using his cunning mind, he makes Mufasa's only dream come true.  
**

**And yes, congratulations to the ones who predicted that Laila is going to be with Scar. Truly, she wouldn't do that if he was a selfish bandit, but being able to sympathize with him, she discovered his inner good and helped him in putting his plan in motion.  
**

**But wait! I'm talking as if this is the final chapter! No no no, this is not the end just yet! XD  
**


	30. Exodus

**Day 268**

_Breeder's journal._

_Today I finally got out of the hospital. It was kind of hard for me to go back to the ZOO, and not just because my injuries are still healing. After such an unfortunate event Red simply had to be sent away- since he became dangerous not only to the other lions but even to humans, he just had to go. Such is the routine procedure and the Director told me that nothing else could be done. And even though that big cat almost got me killed, showing that he hadn't indeed developed as strong a link of sympathy as the one that connected me with him, I felt that losing him was my personal failure as a zoologist. I had personally brought him and his brother here and took care of him like he was my own child for almost nine months. But I suppose this is just how nature's laws work. _

_Seeing just how depressed I was, the other employees decided to reveal to me a thing they'd been keeping a secret during the time of my recovery. And that was the best news they could possibly bring me right now. I am not a failure at all. My Cape Lion Restoration Project isn't just a madman's dream. Laila's pregnant, Black is the father and every single bet that had been made about whether this is ever going to happen has now turned out to be officially won by me. Even if the ZOO lost a lion it will still earn much more when the cubs finally arrive. I called professor Yudski as soon as I found out and he was just as happy. I can't waste my time- I'm off to examine the lioness and check on her happy mate. I just hope my stitches won't tear._

* * *

**Day 365**

_Breeder's journal._

_This is the day! And what a wonderful coincidence indeed! Not only is this the first anniversary of Black's relocation to the ZOO, but also, what is a fact that fills me with deepest joy, this will also be the day celebrated as his and Laila's cubs' birthday. The lioness gave birth about 6 AM today and I simply can't express how happy I am to know that both her and her two sons are fine and healthy. The cubs are both male, with their mother's dark, brown fur and black tufts on their little tails that indicate that in some time their manes are going to grow pitch-black, just like their father's. These are prime Cape Lion traits! My plan has become a success! When connected together, the blood of two descendants of that now extinct subspecies made the genes of the ancestors become the dominant one. This is a fact of great scientific significance, and I have already answered phone calls from zoologists that I had med during the Convention, the same ones that would not believe that such a restoration is possible without genetical interference! But it turned out that my efforts weren't worthless at all, and now crowds of visitors come to the ZOO to see the adorable pair of little lions. _

_When I went to the Lion Walk today, Black stood at the other side of the glass gazing at me with those green eyes of his. I don't know why, but somehow I felt that he was happy and that he was thanking me for some reason. Well, truth be told, he ought to be happy, since he's now become a valuable and protected breeding specimen, valuable and precious, and both he, his mate and their cubs are going to be treated especially good thanks to the various donations we got that will help us in protecting and restoring this magnificent subspecies of this most beautiful feline on earth. Life indeed can be good, sometimes._

* * *

The pair of lions were lying in the shade of their den, shadowed from the sight of the ones who came to see how they were doing. But the curious birds, among who were also Moses and Anya, did nothing but sat on the branches of the trees inside the Lion Walk, whispering to each other, careful not to disturb the new parents' well earned moments of rest and joy.

The lion once known as Scar held his young mate tight in his embrace, proud and happy of her courage in going through the hardships of childbirth. And, of course, admiring his newborn sons- not more than two blind, brown little hairballs as he thought, laughing at the way he once used to address his nephew. Laila was holding them both tightly between her paws where they fit perfectly as in a safe bed and licked their fur carefully as to not wake them up.

She felt the father of her cubs nuzzling into the side of her neck. Never before had he been showing so much affection towards her as he did now.

-"Oh Taka, aren't they beautiful?" – she asked him silently after a long purr of pleasure.

-"Indeed, my beloved. They have inherited their mother's charm" – said the lion, lifting his head to look into the female's eyes. The pair of mates shared a smile.

-"Do you still want to name one of our sons Mheetu?" – Lalia asked.

-"Well, I have considered it. Do you still find that name to be a nice one?"

-"Yes, sure I do! So how about the one with the spots on his back?" – she curled her paw around the cub that was born first. – "Do you want to be called Mheetu, my little one?"

-"Of course he does!" – Taka chuckled. – "Just look at him. The name fits him perfectly."

-"Alright, so this is our son Mheetu. And what about the other cub?"

-"Well..." – the male hesitated.

-"Well what? Go on, you can tell me your proposition. I suppose there aren't any African names that are too strange to give them to our child..."

Taka sighed and took a deep breath. In his head he was picturing many memories, and also trying to imagine things that were happening right now, only a long distance away. Then he spoke, more making a statement than giving a proposition.

-"Mufasa. His name is Mufasa".

* * *

He'd gone through all the hardships and trials that had previously been the worst time in his life, a second time. He was brutally abducted, put to sleep, locked in a cage and transported through land and sea to the other side of the world, having to cope with uncomfortable conditions, poor food and sea sickness. But the worst thing that the lion felt during his second long journey, was the uncertainty. Truth be told, he had no real idea about where the humans were actually taking him. He just had his brother's promise, and even though he fought to believe it, fear was still present in his heart towards the very end of his travel.

But only until he felt it again. The African air. The warmth of the midday sun. The smell of grass and the dust of the savanna.

At first it felt like a dream. Because it was indeed a dream coming true before his very eyes. He couldn't believe it even when the bald monkeys finally let him out from behind the bars of his cage, even when they left him alone and waving goodbye, went away out of his sight and far beyond the horizon.

He was home. Under the bright, African sky. When he strained his eyes to look as far as he could, he saw the ancient mount Kilimanjaro welcoming him as a beloved family member running in his direction to hold him after a long time of separation. And realizing, he became the one who started running. He wasn't in the Pridelands yet, but he was close. Closer, closer with every step and with every longing heartbeat that was bringing him towards what he thought he'd lost forever. And when finally, panting and exhausted, he saw the peak of Pride Rock beautifully bathed in the rays of the setting sun, only one sentence broke out in his mind from the wave of overwhelming happiness.

_Asante, ndugu_. Thank you, brother.

All it took now was a single roar, one that was not heard in this land for far too long, and he was one with his pride again. Mufasa, once thought to be dead, was once more the Lion King.

All the attempts to describe or in another way put in words the wonderful joy that filled the moment when the lion was reunited with his family would have been inadequate and humble when compared to the real image of the event. You can imagine it, if you like- imagine that you are a son who's beloved father had vanished for months and was now standing in front of you alive. Imagine that you are the wife of a husband who had been your whole life, the sun on your sky that had suddenly set to leave you inside a seemingly endless night, only to reappear as suddenly as it has vanished. This was just how Sarabi and Simba reacted when they saw Mufasa again. And how he, the former king, father and mate, who had lost not only everything he loved but also all that he was responsible for, reacted when he stood in front of his loved ones, upon the soil that was now once again his kingdom.

The Queen had not changed a bit. The old wrinkles that appeared on her face after hours of mourning her lost mate, have disappeared along with the smile that replaced them upon his return. Simba, on the other hand wasn't just the mischievous little cub anymore. Mufasa was extremely happy to see his son as a strong, red-maned juvenile who was showing more and more resemblance to his father with every day. And the Prince was simply thrilled to have him back- even though his mother's plan of making him the king as soon as he becomes an adult now had to be changed to it's initial form.

As soon as it was possible, the lions called for a general assembly of the Pridelands' animals in order to announce that the king has returned. The celebrations lasted many days, during which the subjects expressed just how happy and faithful they were to their ruler. Furthermore, Mufasa announced to them that if it weren't for his brother, who from now on was to be spoken of as prince Taka, he would still be a prisoner in the human ZOO. All the tales the lion told his friends made them stand in amazement, but the fact that the lion once known as Scar was capable of such a sacrifice in order to help his once hated brother would have been impossible for them to believe if Mufasa wasn't the one who told it to them. So from now on Taka's name was mentioned with respect among the inhabitants of the Pridelands.

From that day on the Lion King would stand at the top of Pride Rock every night gazing at the stars, thanking his ancestors for guiding him on his way and asking them to watch over his brother who was now so far away.

At the other side of the globe, in a ZOO somewhere in Europe, Taka was also looking at the same stars from time to time, only when he didn't have to look after his sons. After a few months, he sent Anya the stork on another journey to the Pridelands, and when Mufasa found out that not only was his brother now a father of two healthy little lions but that one of them was named in his honor, the king felt so affected that he felt deeply sorry that he couldn't see his nephews. But when Anya came back to Taka, most of what she had to announce were still messages of love and hope.

Thus Mufasa lived to the very end of his days as king of the Pridelands, safe from all four-legged and two-legged enemies, and after his peaceful departure from this world his son, Simba, became a ruler just as wise and just as kind as his father once was, establishing a new line of descendants along with his beloved mate, Nala, daughter of Taka.

Far away, in distant Europe, that same Taka also lived a comparably enjoyable life, becoming the ZOO's king and main attraction along with his mate Laila and their two sons, Mheetu and Mufasa. This family of felines later helped the humans in reestablishing a stabile population of Cape Lions that became a decoration of many other institutions in the world, making their human breeder a famous wildlife protector.

Thus ends the story of two brothers, who hated each other until they were locked behind bars in one cage. What does this teach us, one might ask? Well, probably the lesson would sound- "you can't go to pieces every time something wrong happens, because you never know if the tests life puts us through aren't going to give birth to good".

Your faith- this is your victory.

**The End.**

* * *

**AN: Awww I'm so sad this is over! But at least it's a happy end, isn't it? Not like my former two stories…**

**Anyways, it was SO much fun to write this! I love Scar, as you know, and making him good for once was something I was just dying to do. And additionally, I would like to express just how totally shocked I am just how much some of you liked this little piece of text! For three months you've been following me as I published 30 chapters, that is over 100 pages of something that ended up as almost a small book, and MAN was I positively surprised whenever I saw how you enjoyed what I wrote! I am no professional writer at all, and if I just had enough time I would thank every single one of those who supported me with expressing their joy when they read my work. But for now let me just say this- THANKS, GUYS! XD**

**I suppose I kind of got used to writing this kind of fiction, and so I'm going to continue doing so. In a while, you might expect another story XD. **

**Until then be well and have faith, fellow Lion King fans!**


End file.
